The Lost Children
by D.L. Fercy
Summary: "The battle for Erebor had ended, yet the enemy's shadow was cast over middle earth. Now threatening the elven kingdoms of Mirkwood, Lothlorien and Rivendell" Sex Scenes, Epic Fights, A captivating story. Original storyline by D.L. Fercy & M.M.C. Hoffman, based on the books of J.R.R. Tolkien. Original Characters.
1. The Punishment

**1\. The punishment**

The battle of the five armies had ended, and everything seemed to be calm in Middle-earth. Thranduil lord of Mirkwood sent his only son Legolas Greenleaf in search for the one they call _Strider_, and had realized that love wasn't exclusive to the elven kind, thanks to this, he allowed Tauriel back into Mirkwood with her former rank. Alas, during the battle, when the time was ill, one of his commanders took upon him to help the dwarves when he saw the indecision of his king. Though wiser, Thranduil is a proud king, and even if he agreed somehow to fight side to side with the dwarves, he gave no direct order to help them.

The perpetrator; Aldúnil, a tall black-haired, blue-silver eyed elf; was sent to look after Legolas in his search for Strider, which for an elf whose life was about wandering or outmost discipline in the army and important tasks it was a punishment, one that Thranduil mercifully thought on.

"But you are sending me, my lord, to help Legolas in an easy errand. It would seem you do not trust your son enough. By this hour he is half way ahead of me, or maybe he already arrived there…" he said with anger in his tone, walking back and forth in front of Thranduil's throne.

"I trust my son, but I do not trust you Aldúnil, you helped those dwarves without my consent. Now you need to prove to me that as a Commander you can follow the lead of your King into battle, for I will not have disobedience among my ranks." the blonde proud elf said, without looking at Aldúnil, walking towards the stairs.

"Sir…!"

"Enough!" the king rose his voice for a second and then went back to his usual elegant and eloquent self. "You are a Commander of the Woodland Realm. It is the hour that you start behaving as one."

"Follow your king's command." Tauriel argued. She was present there as now she was an entrusted of King Thranduil. In her tone, there was authority, since she was of a higher rank than the commander, even more being of The Guard, but also some sort of plea to keep peace, since the punishment was not harsh. Thranduil was being very merciful, much unlike himself and he needed to go on that useless errand to pacify him, it was a bargain, considering the usual severity of the king and the level of the crime committed by the commander.

She knew Aldúnil from hundreds of years, and even when they never were specially friends they had enjoyed companionship and comradely in the army. Making jokes about the other or talking every now and then and the least she wanted was to see more tragedy after the battle. She had enough already…

"I would, Capitan Tauriel, but what he asks of me is, not something I can bow to do." The elf answered and then looked at the king. "Send me to the woods, my king. Let me serve you by eradicating the near threats of our lands, same that threatens our allies from the North."

In his voice there was something hiding and even when Tauriel seemed curious, Thranduil dismissed this for he was not interested in petty secrets. The ginger elf seemed to start getting upset. It was nothing more than a whine from a decorated Commander. She knew he was a lot like that in his common life and personality, except when it came to discipline in the army, why was it just now that he behaved like this at the light of a very small punishment in comparison for the crime he committed? She could not bear that he was arguing with a king just out of ego.

She pressed her fists on her sides. She knew she could not say much since she had not been the most obedient soldier as of late, but she had good reasons, this was a tantrum.

"These are not your lands." The king answered coldly and the commander seemed hurt inside, but he hid it instantly, only Tauriel that had been looking at him noticed. "Aldúnil, you swore an oath when I took you in without asking questions, when you became a soldier here; I am not going to argue as if you were my equal. You are off tomorrow by the first light, and that will be my say on the matter." Thranduil said before he left the room.

Tauriel looked at the black haired elf with some of a grin smirk; she was starting to like the idea of forcing the Commander to honor his pledge despite of his useless whining. Aldúnil sighed and sat on the steps of the king's throne, playing with a small dagger.

He would not be the king's son babysitter, he was Commander of the Mirkwood armies and he had lived far more adventures and battles than little miss red-haired with green eyes who had been forgiven after pointing an arrow to her king. However, he could not defy Thranduil's orders, in that she was right, he was the king. It was more of a punishment to see the grin on Tauriel's face than having to go see Legolas playing detective to find the son of Arathorn.

"So, you are off _tomorrow?"_

"You are so happy about that right? Me, gone for months."

"I would never say that," she got closer to him as she took out Kili's token from her pocket and started playing with it with her fingers "but I have to admit it will be nice to have some quiet time at last around here." suddenly her proud smile faded to a nostalgic look. Aldúnil stared at her. It was incredible how much she would change each time she took out that little rock that the dwarf gave her.

"I thought… that you left that thing with him."

"How could I? It is the only thing that I allowed myself to have from him to remind me that love is painful."

"Love does not have to be painful, Tauriel. But the most intense ones always leaves a permanent mark that stings sometimes…" now the gloomy look appeared in the dark haired elf, which triggered some sense of attention in Tauriel.

Before anything got any weirder, she left the Commander alone in the throne room as she thought of Kili and the words of Aldúnil "… it stings."

The light starts dimming out, as memories flourished inside the elf's mind… He was sitting on the bar of the Prancing Pony, although his vestments were not those of a soldier, or those of royalty, not even those of an elf. He was dressed in a large dark cloak, underneath that his mail and clothes were badly treated and old, the only thing shiny and of value was his sword.

He grabbed his pint and took the last zip of it just before asking for another. After the bartender had put in front of him another pint, he heard a highly pitched laugh, he was perceptive as any other elf but that laugh could not have passed unnoticed, even by dwarves. He looked to where the laugh came from and saw a group of three young farmer girls that most likely escaped their fathers that night to go experiment a bit of the world outside their daily lives. All of them pretty, but one caught his eye, a ginger girl with green eyes who was smiling directly at him. He answered with a cocky smile and then got back to his pint. He heard the girls go loud again.

Aldúnil scratched his beard a little. He was an elf, but also a man. From histories before the current ages he knew this and even though he never knew his father and grew with his mother, he knew very well that he was unique aside from those of the lineage of Beren and Lúthien. Yet he rarely revealed it, and if so, just barely.

"Silver! It's nice to see you around" said a man passing by.

He raised his cup and smiled at the man.

There, he was known as Silver. He passed as a man, he left his bear grow to distinguish himself from elves, his arms were a bit hairy and his lack of hygiene made him look like a man. His pointy ears were easily hidden below his hair or hood, and if, by any chance, someone saw them they weren't as prominent as those of a normal elf so he could just shrug and say he inherited them form his father -which was not a lie.

The girls laughed again and he saw them. The ginger and her friends were looking at him. He took a deep breath and decided to walk towards them.

"Hello, ladies." he said as he took a seat in their table without asking "May I ask, what are three lovely creatures such as you in this place at this late hour?"

"Oh, sir, we just like to go out without permission every now and then to have fun." one answered.

"The farm life gets boring very easily." another finished.

"I would not know." Silver answered.

"Of course not," the ginger said getting close to him "you look like a man that lives in danger, which goes on for adventure."

"Cannot deny that" he answered "but you being here, means that you like adventure too."

"Well, yes" answered the ginger again getting closer until her hand reached his thigh "but maybe our kind of adventure is not the same as yours… sir."

Silver looked down to the hand of the girl crawling up his thigh and smiled, then looks at the other two girls that seem excited too.

"There, my lady, you are wrong." he replied. "I think we are looking for the exact same kind of adventure right now."

He took two of the girls to his room, one stayed behind out of shyness; she was the newest to that adventure apparently. The ginger and the dark haired girl went with him. He lost no time and stripped them out of their clothes revealing their proportionate bodies; he soon lost his cloak, left his weapon near him and placed a knife under the pillow. When he lost every fabric, the girls looked at him with lust.

"I love passing rangers." said the black haired girl while the ginger bit her lips lustfully. He threw himself at them and caressed them at first on every inch of their bodies. Then proceeded to have sex with both at the same time, while they also gave pleasure one to the other.

Elves tended to be very introverted when it came to sex, until then he only found a few that would lay with him without any compromise about love or such, they were prettier than humans usually, but harder without a question so he loved to go to this kind of settlements to satisfy his needs. Humans were very lusty by nature, and women tried to behave, but when the right opportunity presented they surrendered to him without a fair fight. On these days, when he found two or three young very well looking girls already willing to go the extra mile it was as if his entire day was worth it because he enjoyed it like a beast. He had the perception and skills of an elf for battle, but he also used them for this, pleasuring women as if it was his only task. Maybe it wasn't his only task, although he didn't truly know by then, but definitely his favorite hobby.

Unlike his kin, he had a fascination for flesh. He grew up as the secretly fairy elven boy raised as a human in a human town, becoming the fascination of young girls. He found the fun in pleasure as none other than he knew of elven blood, this letting the girls taste an experience like never before and never forgetting him, always carving more.

He leaned in as his waist moved on the ginger's pelvis back and forth and his right hand was masterfully used to please the other one. His attention was heavily focused on the ginger girl, he had a weakness for women with fiery hair, but the girls never noticed this focus, since in both of them he was doing a great work.

The ginger took her hand from his back to his black hair and pressed him against her lips, when she stopped and let out a moan, she picked up Silver's hair and put it behind his ear, feeling the pointy end and then looking at it.

"What is this?" the ginger said between moans, fascinated.

"Are you an elf?" the other girl asked with a big smile.

"I shall not answer that." he replied, lowering his rhythm.

"Oh, you are an elf, aren't you?" the ginger tried to pull his beard out as if trying to reveal a fake one but to no avail.

"Not exactly" he said starting to go up in speed again, making both of them arch their backs in pleasure to then retire from the ginger and start with the black haired girl which was fascinated so she said nothing more, but the ginger one was very curious and she started caressing his ears.

"I thought elves didn't have beards or hair on their bodies." she said to then kiss him.

After a while when they were quiet he started concentrating on the ginger again. She slowly caressed her own body up and back in pleasure.

"Men cannot do this at all." she said.

"Yeah, they last three minutes and only care about themselves." the other one answered "You can with both of us."

"Well, I'm unforgettable" he answered leaning in to kiss the body of the ginger and then the black hair one.

"You truly are, milord" the ginger said.

"I'm no lord" he denied.

"You must be special with your people, sir, you are…," she said nothing as she was interrupted by a heavy long moan while her legs trembled "...amazing. I deny thinking all elves are this good."

As he kissed them he answered pausedly, trying to put an end to this bothering conversation. He just wanted to enjoy the time.

"Elves tend to keep for themselves only for procreation, so no. Best case they do it regularly with their lifetime partner. Now, can we just… do this?"

"Sounds romantic… Oh yes, I could do this every day" answered the ginger while her friend was on ecstasy.

He directed them to put their knees and hands on the bed while he leaned in from behind with the ginger again, then the black haired girl and back many times taking turns. After some minutes and between a new set of moans from both women the red haired girl had spasms again but he did not stop, nor did she want him to. After that, she leaned back with her waist still bent towards him and kissed him to then ask:

"So, milord, why is it that you are like this and there is no fortunate life partner elven lady?"

As soon as she said this he stopped abruptly. Soon he had no mood. Soon a good day was gone by a mere silly and innocent question. But it burned in his chest. The great day in which two ladies decided to lay with him was absolutely crushed. He seated aside of the bed and the ginger seemed confused while the other girl went in with her lips towards his pelvis but he stopped her.

"Get out" he asked in a low voice.

"What? But we are having so much fun!" said the red haired girl.

"I need to be alone now, please…"

"But, don't we please you?"

"You do… you did… but you finished… we are finished here."

"Then let's keep…"

"I said get out!"

The girls seemed to understand now that his request was serious so they just stepped out of bed and started getting dressed as they were quiet. The black haired one got out first a bit confused and sad. Then the red haired one went to the door and looked at him.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, sir, it's just…"

"I know. It is not your guilt to bear, but mine."

"If you ever want to find us again we come here often, and next time I promise I will convince my other friend…"

Silver looked at her as if she was just stepping over the line now and she just got out of the room, closing the door behind her. There, naked and alone he reached for his belt and took out a dagger and started to play with it while he was thinking. _Why does it still stings?_

After some deep thinking and remembering, Aldúnil set off to his chambers to prepare for his journey, although he would not be joining Legolas to meet up Aragorn again. Before his babysitting duty, he would attend more important matters in his priority list and head to Lothlorien, to pay a visit to his sister, Sinnié. Although she was protected by Lady Galadriel —being the only person alive besides them that knew who she was— he worried about his sister, and many moons had passed since they last saw each other. They were twins, and something thicker than blood bonded them, something deeper than normal brotherly love. The battle for Erebor was over; now a dark presence was casting a shadow all over the land, he could sense it, and so should Sinnié. Lothlorien was a safe place thanks to its rare magic, but that didn't meant it was untouchable. He would disobey his king to make sure she was right.

The time when his sister and him got into different paths, was the day she became Galadriel protégé. The same day he departed to wander the world, much before being a soldier of Lasgalen. After that, he visited her from time to time, every few years or decades but when he became a soldier he took an oath and since then he was not allowed to make usual personal trips, not even to the close Lothlorien, even less when it was for unknown reasons that he would not reveal.

She had always been a shy, lonely woman, preferring her books and music lessons than exploring the world outside. Yet, she was very skilled in throwing knives; a very handy ability to put a stop on her brother when he was bothering her. Aldúnil smiled while remembering their childhood together, far away from elvish cities, in a quiet human town with their mother, up until she died, revealing an overwhelming truth about her children, changing their worlds completely.

Aldúnil took this truth harshly, since he always thought they were alone in the world as a family, even more so when he related the stories of the great healing elves to the sickness of his mother, thinking she could have been saved. But this just gave more meaning to his previous resolution. He wanted to explore the world, and even more, he wanted to earn a hero name for himself, far more than having it due to a lineage that he never knew while growing up.

However, Sinnié thought differently, deciding to visit the living relatives they had; in Doriath.

She was young and naïve by that time, now, a sense of overwhelming curiosity was flooding him about how did his sister should be by now. A warrior? A diplomat?_ married?_ Slowly he fell asleep with a smile on his face, imagining Sinnié as a married cranky elvish woman, married to some Lothlorien lord and how upset or happy could she be.

As soon as the first lights of day touched the crests of Mirkwood trees, Aldúnil headed to the gates to start his journey, without realizing —or deliberately ignoring— that Tauriel followed him.


	2. Sinnié

**2\. Sinnié**

Dim silver light came through the tall trees at Lothlorien, it was a gorgeous morning, but something in the air told her that a particular event would occur. She brushed her long black hair and asked her maidens to braid it in cascade. A celeste-blue gown was prepared for her as she laid some color on her plump lips. Her gown color enhanced her silky white skin, which seemed to glow under lothlorien's light, and made her silver-blue eyes take a mysterious deep look. Tall and thin, with nice curves, Sinnié was preparing to meet Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn for breakfast.

"Good morning milady, milord" she saluted Galadriel whom was talking with her husband; Celeborn, by the end of the table. She sat next to her and poured some wine in her cup.

"Good morning indeed, Sinnié." Celeborn answered, smiling at her. "Those books you were asking about two moons ago, they arrived today from Gondor, I've sent them to your room just moments ago.

"Thank you milord"

"Books? What are you curious about this time, my child?" asked Galadriel looking straight into Sinnié's eyes, although she was looking at her, the girl could notice that something else had caught the elven queen's attention.

"Erebor, I have grown some interest in the dragon sickness. Even before the fire drake Smaug reached and claimed the mountain, king Thror had such sickness."

"An elf should not interest in such mundane things as wealth sickness, nor in greed, it never ends well" Celeborn said after sipping his cup "King Thranduil had to learn that lesson the hard way in the past battle. The real danger is what lies beyond this forest, hidden, not dragon sickness child" Then he smiled at her.

"…Why do you say that king Thranduil had to learn a lesson?" Sinnié Asked, as if she were a little girl.

"_Gems as white as starlight_ were the reason that Thranduil involved himself in dwarven matters; but did not regain them, although he learned a very humbling lesson about the spirit of any creature."

"Someone is at the entrance… He is looking for you, Sinnié" interrupted Galadriel, standing up after sharing a smile with her protégé, and walking towards the stairs that led to the main entrance.

The young elf froze. _Who can possibly be looking for me? _Then, her heart skipped a bit, and rushed towards the entrance, following her mistress.

As she climbed down each step of the stairs her heart began to beat faster and faster, then a voice inside her head resounded: _why is she taking so long? _There was no doubt. That was her brother voice, Aldúnil, who was calling her, the one that was looking for her. And there he was. Tall, blue-silvered eyed, handsome and all dressed up as a proper officer of Mirkwood's army, bowing towards the presence of the lady Galadriel.

"Lady Galadriel, I am here to seek an audience with Lady Sinnié" said Aldúnil, in his most eloquent fashion.

"Stranger from near lands, yet older than the trees that dwell there. ~_My heart rejoices to see your face again, Aldúnil~"_ she called him in her mind while her lips still moved saying something else. "You, who have seen much disgrace, come seeking to ease your heart, as you also have gift to feel what happened and ignited on the Hill of Sorcery ~_he still lurks in the shadow_~ what is your name and what brings you to Caras Galadhon that is worth traveling for so long?"

"I am Aldúnil, Commander of the Mirkwood army, and I have traveled nearly a month to see her." these words made Sinnié's heart stop for a moment, and a thin smile appeared on her face. Her brother was commander of one of the biggest armies in all the elven realms.

"Very well, you may have your audience with Sinnié _~you are family, son of Aegnor, but thread carefully, your nature is something unique~_" The fair elven lady said.

Galadriel and the guard left the brothers alone. Sinnié walked down the last steps slowly, sinking in the reality that was before her. They said nothing for a moment, and then he walked towards her.

"So, now you're a fancy elven lady!" Aldúnil said with a smirk on his face.

"And you're commander… not bad Aldúnil, not bad!" answered his sister, with a proud elvish look, just to break pose after a few seconds and laugh at their overly serious reunion after so many years.

"You are so gorgeous Sinnié… how many kids do you have? Three?"

" What? No! I'm not married, nor…" but before she could finish the sentence she blushed. Not a particular trait in elves. Her brother looked at her in awe, and then looked into the skies and sighed in relief, "what? …what? I am 6000 years old! I can decide whether I marry or not Aldúnil!

"No, it's alright but, I would get really mad if you got married and didn't extended me the courtesy of challenging your future partner to a combat to the death! Or… At least, a wedding invitation."

"I'm afraid your own action will impede you from attending" a feminine voice of authority resounded in the quiet woods, the brothers turned towards the entrance; Tauriel was standing there proudly, followed by two guards of Lorien.

"Who are you?" asked Sinnié, offended and making the guards take their hands to their swords as a reflex, but not daring to unsheathe, for they were dealing with the protégé of the lords of Lorien.

"You?" Aldúnil seemed more apathetic than frightened. His sister looked at him confused.

"I'm Tauriel, captain of King Thranduil's Guard, and I was given the task to follow Aldúnil in order to ensure the fulfillment of the task given by our king. He has disobeyed now, so I'm here to claim him and take him back into Mirkwood."

"May I remind you, _Tauriel_, you are in the realm of lady Galadriel, and you cannot impose your will here? This shall be discussed with her" answered the black-haired she-elf, in a dominant tone. Her brother was surprised how quickly Sinnié's expression changed, he even felt a little scared.

"Y-You're right… I'm sorry milady, I shall wait for her to come." Tauriel lowered her tone of voice and waited patiently until Galadriel came forth once again. Meanwhile Sinnié saw his brother with disapproval and contempt.

" ~_what did you do? You disobeyed a KING? And you didn't just defy "a king" you defied Thranduil, the proudest, most stubborn elven king~_" she yelled at him inside his mind, without moving a single muscle of her face, just staring at him plainly. As protégé of Lady Galadriel, she had learned to stare into people's souls provoking fear.

"~_He wanted me as Legolas' babysitter! Besides I wanted to see you, if you were alright, that's why I'm here…~_"Aldúnil answered the same way. One of their unique traits as twins was this ability to talk to each other without the need of spoken words, making it easy to keep secrets.

"~_is she your partner, brother? ~_"she smirked.

"Of course not! "Aldúnil yelled.

"What's wrong with you?" Tauriel asked startled by the sudden shout of the commander, but he couldn't answer because now Galadriel and Celeborn were arriving to the entrance.

"Tauriel of the Woodland Realm, I do not appreciate your abrupt entrance to my realm in such fashion." Celeborn spoke, placing himself in a protective way in front of the black-haired she-elf "What is your propose treating our protégé's guest like this?"

"My lord Celeborn, Aldúnil; commander of the Mirkwood army, disobeyed deliberately our king and now I must take him back to our kingdom to be punished as Lord Thranduil sees fit."

"My child" Galadriel looked at Sinnié and then back at Tauriel "there are dangers that we haven't conquered, darkness that endures. You have our hospitality and I trust you can handle this as only a warm heart can, Tauriel, do with Commander Aldúnil what you must…" stated the queen, looking with contempt towards the red-haired she-elf who looked back in awe, yet with some remorse in her heart.

Galadriel turned her gaze towards Sinnié and smiled with familiarity.

"You wish to go" Galadriel affirmed.

"Yes my lady" replied Sinnié "As a portray of our good will to keep peace and cooperation between our realms, I insist in accompanying him back to Mirkwood ~_So I can make sure no harm comes to him, he's my beloved brother after all Ada'muinthel~"_

Galadriel shared a glance with Celeborn and then they both kept silence for a moment. There were more important things afoot than wasting time in mere politics, however, they trusted Sinnié to take care of such matters, and so, after that deep moment of silence, they approved Sinnié's decision and sent her with two handmaidens and four guards to Mirkwood, to fix this problem.

"You shall go, then ~_you are fair and wise, I trust you will do the right thing_~" Galadriel answered and turned her back giving her and Aldúnil a smile._ "~Take care my child, the world outside is different from what you remembered, and you are naïve to some matters, but I trust you will find that thing you have been seeking since you arrived here… Namarië~"_

Tauriel was not happy about bringing a lady to Thranduil's court, especially when she treated her as if she was offending Aldúnil by obeying her king. There was something strange in Sinnié's face, as if she had seen that face for hundreds of years and could not figure out where. How had she ended being Galadriel protégé?

They made haste, for the journey was long and the red-haired was prompted with doing this as fast as she could. She could not let her own thoughts act before her. Thranduil had just forgiven her after a small moment of victory and goodwill; however thousands of years and two generations of stubbornness were not easily subdued. Regardless of the impact of the epiphany the king just had.

"~_you seem quite fond of traveling now sister~_" said Aldúnil into his sisters head "~_it would seem that you've been doing it for a long time, did you spend some of your time learning how to ride?~" _

"_~indeed, I am quite fond of horses now… you made me fear them years ago thanks to your reckless ridding, as a matter of fact, everything you've done after that girl has been in some measure reckless~_" Sinnié seemed worried about her brother. Everybody in middle earth knew that Thranduil, though wise, was a stubborn old king, and now he was in deep trouble with the one that even in the last battle, was paralyzed in the indecision of helping the elves, and thought as a punishable action that one of his commanders helped them in the heat of battle without an order. Aldúnil now smiled with melancholy, he didn't mind that his sister brought _her_ up, and the fact that the red-haired she-elf couldn't listen to them helped him even more to hide his sorrow.

Glimpses of memories haunted the commander, visions of a meadow in the moonlight. White flowers, the smell of the grass. And a sweet smell. The caress of a woman's hand…

"You are awfully quiet Aldúnil" Tauriel said approaching him with her horse, breaking the bitterness of the elf's memories "some might say you can actually feel things."

"I'm not really in the mood Tauriel" he answered. Even though they were on opposing sides of the coin almost all the time they had this antagonist companionship when they were together. "I am tired of being bound to somewhere in particular and now I am even a commander in this army. After decades upon decades of servitude, discipline and sacrifice for the greater good I am here. I fought once, in the way I saw fit and right, and Thranduil will punish me for doing so. My moment of glory became my moment of disgrace when my king in his pride decided I had committed treason for helping dwarves that were fighting side by side with us…"

"That were also ready to fight you, our people and our king at Oakeanshield's order…" she mentioned.

"They were because they are loyal. As soon as the enemy appeared they took the front line, even when elves where the ones exposed, even when Dain had the high ground, their call to duty was stronger than their pride. Thranduil calls them prideful, yet he doubted and showed being twice as stubborn, even after Mithrandir's call to action. Then I decided to act, to help the dwarves… you should know better than me" Tauriel remained silent. She fought side by side with dwarves too, even loved one, and the only one who was being punished was him, one of the few that without a double agenda had supported them, without looking downwards. Even after she pointed a weapon to the king herself, "But I know I must honor this, because I made an oath… ha, and I bet you will be smiling when Thranduil rants about this."

"I may… I believe you are right, nevertheless" the words of lady Galadriel still hunting her, she did not look at the two brothers riding behind her. "Let us hope he gives you an opportunity like he did with me."

"_Opportunity?_ Thranduil almost kills you for insubordination!" he snorted "I really do not know how you softened his heart but I better learn some tricks from you… although I bet those will not work with male elves"

Tauriel drew her sword and hit him so hard that Aldúnil fell off the horse. Having the disadvantage that he was tied up, he could not hold on or stop his fall and ended up all covered in mud. Sinnié could not help laughing at the top of her lungs, breaking the facade of her being an elegant elven lady. The guards help him back on his horse, trying not to laugh as well. Tauriel smiled proudly and made her horse the head of the caravan.

"Is it not her the one that defied Thranduil, pointing him with an arrow at Dale?" Asked Sinnié as soon as the red-haired was far enough.

"Yes that's the one, how did you know?"

"You know how I know brother… But now, why is she acting so overly loyal to Thranduil?"

"I suppose something happened after they found the corpses of the dwarf princes and king…"

"I wonder what, but she is feisty enough to handle you, I can see that after what she just did" she grinned.

"I will not make you pay for that insinuation, if you allow me to be with that gorgeous blonde handmaiden you brought " he answered back after spitting some dirt.

"Such debauchery! Is that what you've been doing all of these years? Fooling around with women?"

"Not all the time, but yes… if you must know, yes" Sinnié's face turned from pale pink to red in no time. Now was Aldunil's time for laughter. After many moons, they remained the same. He gave thanks every single day of his life that they spend their childhood together in a human town, allowing them to have a more fraternal relationship than other elven brothers. What he was most thankful for, was to have her coming back with him to Mirkwood, he imagined what could be possibly in store for him, but with his sister by his side, nothing was too horrid to endure.

They traveled relatively slow since they made a stop in the middle of each day to eat and refresh however, they tried to ride as fast and steady as their horses gave them.

At first, Tauriel wanted to enter the woods as soon as possible in the east, from the same place they came from, but that would lead just a few miles from Dol Guldur. Aldúnil proposed that they crossed went to the North far enough from the Hill of Sorcery and only then entered the woods of Mirkwood. At first Tauriel opposed, however Aldúnil gave his very compelling argument why it was a mistake.

He came that way in hopes that Tauriel, who was tailgating since he headed out, would turn back or at least would not be able to bring many with her. The two of them were quiet as shadows and trained, very capable of defending themselves if needed and harder to spot since they were just two traveling separately. Now they had four Lorien guards besides from Sinnié and her two maidens that did not know how to fight. Something risky to do especially after so much had happened in that fortress. After the darkness withdrew the remnants of that darkness would be desperate and active, weather in trying to regain the place with orders or just leaderless and in chaos around.

The ginger elf finally accepted, not only because it was logical and safer, but also because, even when they were close she knew Aldúnil was an elf of honor and would not try to do something idiotic to escape.

On the ninth morning, they reached the black forest trough the southwest. The forest was still dark and sick but they were at least a hundred miles from Dol Guldur, which was a good thing. Especially when a hose of elven soldiers encountered them and Aldúnil's theory was proven correct.

"What is happening?" Asked Tauriel to one of them.

"Some spiders tried to get inside our territory again Capitan, we got rid of them, but lord Thranduil asked us to keep watch" the elven lieutenant answered, pretty confused of watching Commander Aldúnil tied up, being escorted by Tauriel and guards of Lorien, that letting aside the unknown gests coming with them

"~_Spiders? The ones that were nesting near Dol Guldur? ~_" Sinnié asked her brother, worried, feeling a deep chill in her back.

"~_They must be… Spawns from Ungoliath~"_

The journey through the woods seemed slow and tedious. Especially for the ones from Lorien, those were new to it. All the sick trees twisting up and down eclipsing the sunlight to a point where they did not know exactly if it was day or night, they just walked, watching the same scene over and over, mile after mile.

They crossed the black and sick forest of Mirkwood heading farther and farther to the north. Guards and entire units of elves moving here and there on the roads, answering the calls to exterminate spiders and raids of orcs, some of the survivors from the Battle of Erebor and Dale that ran off in stampede after watching the odds turn against them.

Aldúnil explained to his sister that the forest used to be full of green and happy trees full of life, but since the supposed Necromancer took refuge in Dol Guldur, the forest grew sick and dark, almost all of it but the southern part, were Lothlorien was, and the far north, were the realm of Thranduil stood strong still against the darkness.

As they got closer to the Woodland Realm, the trees started to lose that sickness until they turned green and strong, full of life. Finally, they arrived to the entrance of the capital, a long bridge crossing a pit into a mountain of grey stone and carved columns.

They crossed and the gates opened, the guards received them and then they entered the city of Thranduil.

Though forced to build inside a mountain to protect themselves from enemies, the elves architecture was nothing like that of dwarves. Trees and branches formed part of the landscape everywhere, instead of darkness, light came from cracks on the stone above, bouncing with the white and grey rocks to lit everything in beautiful light. At night, these same cracks would serve the purpose of letting moonlight come in but, mostly, glares of longing elves to watch out for the stars above; stars that told them secrets and stories.  
Bridge after bridge they crossed and stair after stair the climbed up and down in an intricate maze that build the way of life of the elves there. Even crops were grown inside the mountain city.

The high columns and arches made of stone and wood turned bigger and more majestic every step of the way to the core of the capital, towards the palace.

"Beautiful" Sinnié whispered to his brother, while they were escorted to the throne room.

The throne room was the highest place inside the mountain itself. After a large stairway they arrived into a place surrounded by tall columns and arches, with smooth floor and another stairway on the side that led to the elegant throne of vines and branches, where a fair elven king was sitting upon.

King Thranduil lay there, sitting while sustaining an oaken staff on the right hand, he was contemplative. As soon as the guests arrived, his head turned towards them and a smirk was drawn in his pale and smooth face. His undergarments were of black fabrics adorned with silver threads as well as his upper garments, which hanged down until touching the ground as a shiny waterfall on his back and sides. His blond hair, almost white, seemed to glow in the room and the sophisticated crown of vines had now changed back to a smaller piece which front descended through his forehead until almost touching his angular nose, features that only paled trough the seriousness of his face. Deep down his ancient eyes there was a disturbing discontent.

He glanced at each member of the group once and then laid his eyes on Tauriel, his entrusted soldier.

"Tauriel, you are back with the insubordinate" Thranduil said in a paced voice, looking right into Aldunil's eyes, but then his stare wandered and stopped in Sinnié and her handmaidens "And some guests."

"Milord, this is Lady Sinnié, protégé of Lady Galadriel, she has come with us as proof of good will from Lothlorien, and to make sure a fair trial is performed for… Aldúnil."

"Lady Sinnié", said the elven king standing up as a leaf impulse by the wind, directing his eyes into the black-haired she-elf, "I'm sorry that you have travelled this far to bear witness of a process such as this, Aldúnil's insubordination is out of line, he has showed me that being merciful will not suffice, not only he gave an order to my army without my consent, but he challenged me in my soft punishment and went to Lothlorien instead. His very breathing now is a disrespect to my authority as a king." the king made a long pause as he went down the steps of his throne to then confront Aldúnil face to face with an authoritarian smile, "He rejected my help and bit the hand the fed him, and as such, he shall be punished. Tomorrow he will be executed."

Shock overwhelmed everyone standing in the room. Tauriel gasped, tightening her fists against her body with impotence. Sinnié felt how her legs were failing her, but a fire rose within her spirit, making her feel powerful and ethereal. However Aldúnil remained calmed, although he didn't expected his life ended by defying his own king. The entire situation was a bit ironical for the elf; he closed his eyes and smiled.

"But my king…" tried to argue Tauriel, nervous, "we won, the dwarves did not attack us, and he may have stranded in his way to see your son."

"Nevertheless, he is not a fool to be lost so far away of his course nor did I allow him to give an order to _my_ army. Elven blood was spilled, and our heirlooms were not returned. Even if I wanted to help, it would not have turned like that."

"Lord Thranduil " spoke Sinnié in a deep voice, "with all due respect, a death sentence is an exaggeration for his crimes. ~_I will not allow him to touch you, brother!~_" Aldúnil looked at his sister after hearing her angered voice in his mind, hoping her anger did not gave them away.

"It is… but I shall make an example of him, so none of my remaining subordinates will ever dare to defy my orders " his words were cold and harsh, but Sinnié did not even blinked. "The sentence will be performed tomorrow at dawn, by then you can return to Lothlorien and tell Lady Galadriel that I solved the problem."

"But my King, it is not fair!" Tauriel pleaded, but Thranduil silenced her with a look of stone. She would not allow herself to say another word, and felt tears trying to roll down her face, feeling guilty, but the king already forgave her once, but after the sentence he just gave she was sure he would not do it again.

"Lock him in a cell" Thranduil ordered her, "He will not wander astray this time.

"~_do not do anything foolish… I will settle this with Thranduil, I swear~" _Sinnié told her brother, while bowing down to Thranduil as he walked to exit the room.

" ~_This is the consequence of my actions… know that even after what happened, you are the most precious being for me Muinthel~" _Aldúnil tried to calm her down. Distance and time was nothing to normal elves, but everything was different when you had a twin. They shared everything, since birth, every breath and every sensation was part of both of them, and Sinnié was determined not to say goodbye just yet.

"Prepare Lady Sinnié's chambers, she is a guest after all". After these words, he bowed back to the black-haired she-elf and left the room. A couple of servants and Sinnié's handmaidens walked out the room, obeying the king's order.

"~_this is not our time to say goodbye Aldúnil, not yet! ~"_said this, Sinnié followed her handmaidens, thinking in some way to stop her brother's execution.

Silence invaded the throne room. Tauriel walked towards Aldúnil and looked at him with sorrow, she knew this was not right, even if he bothered her sometimes; no one deserved to die for helping others' lives. The commander then gave Tauriel a small knife that he kept within his right sleeve as they walked to the dungeons. She looked at him hoping to understand, but he just smiled, telling her that he was ready and would not fight her while she took him to his cell.

"If I had only known this would…" she said while closing the cell's door.

"You are not guilty, I am the only one to blame" the elf answered, sitting down on the cell, "Do not blame yourself, I am the reckless one, and maybe this is what I needed to finally rest my spirit."

Tauriel looked at him through the cell and then down two the floor. She wanted to say something comforting, but it turned out the martyr was the one comforting her on her own guilt. When she felt a tear falling down her face, she turned away stating that she would bring him a last meal to feast on.


	3. Dosta En-Restlas

**3\. Dosta en-restlas**

She felt wrestles. She would not dare touch her dinner, nor prepare to sleep. Besides being in a completely different place for the first time in more than millennia, her brother had just been sentenced to execution the next day. She didn't know whether to get furious or to cry, but then she remembered Galadriel. Her mistress was wiser than anyone in the Woodland Realm, possibly Middle-Earth, and if she let her come to Mirkwood to be sure that nothing happened to Aldúnil, it was because she was capable to do so, alone.

After pacing for some time around her bed, she decided to take some actions. She grabbed the long silver robe that was hanging aside the bed and got out of the room, making her way into king Thranduil's chambers. Surprisingly enough, there were fewer guards than she imagined the elven king would have. Sinnié needed to get past them to talk to Thranduil and they would not just let her pass if she asked, she wanted the king off guard. She walked straight to them, and as she imagined one of the heroines of the books she used to love as child said:

"Guards! I'm in terrible need of your help, I believe the commander has escaped, and maybe lady Tauriel needs your aid", she said in a very appealing tone, with genuine worry. The guards looked at each other confused, "I have already sent my guards but they have not returned."

The guards hurried up towards the dungeon cells. As soon as they were far enough she entered the seven feet tall wooden doors of Thranduil's chambers. Then, with a chair, she secured the doors so they wouldn't be interrupted.

Slowly she walked into the three parts room. A dim eerie golden light illuminated everything. Since she was barefoot, and her night gown was made of a very light type of silk, it would seem she was floating, for no sound was made, and then, the elven king entered her sight.

Although she felt quite impressed with him at the throne room, now she had a different perspective. He was a tall elf compared to most of them. And although his muscle tone wasn't the most sculptural one, it reflected the lifetime of battles, wars and duels fought. Along his back, there was a set of scars that would seem made of fire, but as soon as the light of the lamps touched them, they disappeared. Now his hair fell over his shoulders without a crown to adorn it. His blue eyes shined with melancholy as he reached the bed to grab his night robe. Being the first time that Sinnié saw a man like that "excepting her own brother" she ran out of words for a moment, in which the king seemed to plunge into a deep train of thought to be interrupted when the she-elf cleared her throat.

"What is the meaning of this?" Thranduil exclaimed while putting on his robe.

"My king" Sinnié said in a deep voice, "I have come here to see if you are able to see some reason."

Thranduil grinned and approached her looking at her as if she had just committed and unbelievable act.

"I cannot help but notice the irony of you using that word, since the lack of it resides in entering into a Kings room or, even worst, double insubordination from the prisoner you are trying to eagerly defend. Which cannot help to bring me and ask myself, why?" His blue eyes looked right into Sinnié's soul and back, making her feel naked and invaded. When she was about to speak, the king's guards knocked the door.

"Is everything alright my lord? We cannot open the door!"

"Yes, you may stand down" answered Thranduil without taking his eyes of Sinnié.

"My king, you wish to gain the name of tyrant? You are already known by being a stubborn king"

"I could not care what is said about me in the outside world, my subjects and subordinates love and respect me, and for that I care that my orders are obeyed. Tauriel drew the last mercy I had in me at Erebor… now Aldúnil must face the fate I meant with her, I will not yield now… and I certainly would not change my mind in the future with this kind of manners."

"I must insist my lord that you reconsider… for you are not aware what this action may unfold." Sinnié's eyes glowed. He must change his mind, for she would not allow anyone harming her only brother.

"Your threats do not dissuade me" though cold as ice, something made him regret saying such words.

"If you kill Aldúnil, you would be aggravating the house of Finarfin of the Noldor, and the house of Olwë of the Teleri". Her words came out with an ominous echo in Thranduil's mind, her face now showed some anger.

"Are you telling me that you are Lady Galadriel's relative? ", he answered, mocking her words. Smirking. "And if so, what does Aldúnil has to do with all this speech?" Sinnié felt how rage was taking over her, no one, not even a king would take her as a liar.

"_~ I'm Sinnié, daughter of Aegnor, son of Finarfin, son of Finwë, the first High King of the Noldor, second awakened of the Eldar! And Aldúnil is my twin brother~" _Sinnié said to Thranduil directly into his mind, making his smirk fade slowly, as she said the words that only have been spoken once, to her aunt: Galadriel, sister to Aegnor.

"How…?" the words seemed shy when coming out of the king's mouth.

"My father met a human maiden; Andreth, and we were born months after he died… we lived our lives as humans, up until mother got sick. In her dying bed she told us who our father was. I went to Lothlorien with Galadriel to know more about father, while Aldúnil made his life worth living in a different way." Sinnié seemed to get smaller as she explained to Thranduil their story, but not less threatening. The elven king had to sit down on his bed for a moment. After Sinnié finished their story he remained in silence for a long time, then he left his bed to walk towards the she-elf.

"Even though you are Galadriel's protégé, and daughter of her brother, you are nothing but a pair of disgusting bastards. Aegnor did not recognize you, and so I will not recognize you as such… Leave, before I send the guards in". His eyes stared at hers for a second, and the harsh expression of disgust in his face changed into serenity. He made a hand movement indicating her to leave the room and turned his back on her.

"Do not do anything foolish, my king… " said this, Sinnié bowed to the king and left the room. Thranduil was astonished; this stranger who just arrived to his realm dared to challenge his authority, entered his room at nightfall and then walked as if nothing had happened. Even after she revealed her identity as Aldunil's twin sister he still wondered who she was. He started pacing around his chambers, and for some reason he could not let go if the image of Sinnié's eyes looking right at him. Silver-blue, as Galadriel's eyes… but something else was keeping the mind of the elven king in those eyes. Yet, he did not know what it was.

Sinnié arrived to her chambers running, to then jump right into her bed nervous. Without taking her robe or get inside the sheets. She felt embarrassed, though she didn't understand why. Her heart was pounding inside her chest and a sudden heat run all over her body as the image repeated itself over and over again. But that didn't mattered right now, her brother's life was hanging on the end of a thread and she had run out of ideas. Thranduil did not yield at the truth; it seemed it got even angrier by discovering this instead of backing off. She sent one of her handmaidens to fetch her bowl of cold water to wash her face, maybe that was all that she needed, but this feeling would not washed over with the water. Throughout the night she was impeded of sleep. Her mind wandered off between what to do and what would be prudent to do, maybe with her magic she could let her brother go, but that only would unleash a feud bigger than any of both realms could handle in this dark times, not to mention it was not the time to be doing foolish things.

Aldúnil was waiting on his cell. He would not fight the bars or try to escape in any way, for he not only truly believed that he had that coming, it was truth that he swore an oath when he became soldier and a greater one when he was knighted by Thranduil and appointed commander. He believed he would be punished, in the worst of all cases vanished, which would not be so bad for him since he could go back to wandering the world that he left untouched for hundreds of years since he arrived on the Woodland Realm or even go back to the Dúnedain. He like those men, they lived far longer than the average so he could be longer with them while appearing to be one of them. He remembered the times of adventure he had there, wandering as he pleased but helping a noble cause. The Battle of Fornost where the might of an alliance of men and elves defeated the Witch-King, casting him back to the hole from where he came. Times where he made a difference even if he was just one among many. He could not help but smile.

"How is it that only in your deathbed you smile?" the female voice came from outside.

Aldúnil looked and saw Tauriel standing there again, leaning against a wall and looking at him while she played with the rock with runes on her right hand.

"How is it that you are spying on me?"

"Spying? I came walking as in my own home; you just were not sharp enough to hear me."

"I was thinking". He defended himself.

"That is new". She said jokingly.

They both smiled and laughed softly. Then a shroud of silence fell upon them, making them uncomfortable.

They had known each other for more than four hundred years; she was a lieutenant by then. The King favored her for he took care of her since she was a child after her parents were killed by orcs. Unlike Legolas, who was someone centered on his own growth as a skillful warrior and only joined the soldiers on raids and battles, she cared about the world around her, and at that time her world was the army and serving the king with total loyalty in gratitude for what he gave her, a home. She was the one that help him rise, that care of her surrounds make her notice Aldúnil as a very good warrior and a much disciplined soldier, which in turn she told to Thranduil himself. This was not because she liked him, but because she genuinely respected him and knew he would be a positive force.

Aldúnil had always looked at her as a superior so he never stepped over the line nor even considered to. She was a respectable warrior and a loyal leader and subordinate. Even when he never outwardly said so, he had the outmost respect of the elven shieldmaiden. After the years of working together, either in training camps or, battles, raids or missions they bonded not as friends but as companions that respected each other's abilities and virtues. Why they never became friends avoided them. Their relationship was complicated to say the least, because set aside the respect they joked around a lot to relief the constant stress of the army, or even further, the stress of an upcoming battle, this without forgetting what where they at any moment. However, they knew each other well in some degree. He knew she was still feeling guilty, for her actions ended up with an executed kindred, one that only did what she would like to have done but maybe would have never dare to without the impulse of love. She had committed worst crimes against the king yet she was the one looking at him enclosed. Yet, she also knew that he would not blame her, no matter how strict was their relation, no matter that they were usually cold and rude to each other. He would not blame her, he respected her more than he would care to admit and he, in his high virtue of honor, believed that this punishment was something that he had coming. She also knew that the elf would take dead with a smile, but she would not know exactly why, she knew very little about his past and he was a very mysterious individual to say the least, she did not even know his age. Still, she was sure something or many things happened to him a while ago that marked him and that death was nothing but a mere chill compared to it, she was not surprised about him smiling, but she could not avoid being curious.

"Goheno nin", Tauriel said, finally breaking the silence.

"Ú-moe edaved, Tauriel", Aldúnil answered.

"You are a good soldier", the ginger elf said dimly.

Aldúnil smiled again as he knew that coming from her, it was the best compliment he would receive.

"I could say the same about you but… ", he said jokingly, making her laugh behind her held tears.

She cleaned her face and regained seriousness.

"I should do the right thing", she said, looking at the cell.

"Tauriel, do not even think about it, you did your duty and I did not", he stopped the elf when she was trying to leave to the lower stairs to get the keys.

Tauriel did not look at him; she just was there, arguing with herself about what she should do so Aldúnil had to be the voice of reason before she did something regrettable.

"Tauriel, do not throw your life away, I am no one special; do not waste what you have here for me. You can do more good as a Capitan of the Guard than as fugitive or a dead elf", she still would not move. "Besides… I do not regret this, I did what I saw well at the time and I would do it again. If you do this, I may waste your gift in the end."

"After so much time knowing you" she finally said, looking at him through her shoulder with a slight smile full of sadness. "This is the only moment that I have heard you speak so virtuously. I shall not do anything rash."

Aldúnil took a deep breath.

"Good", he laughed. "The world needs more people like you and less like me."

"I disagree", she said before leaving, climbing up the stairs to the citadel and away from the cell keys and pressing her fist around the rock of Kili.

Daylight broke in Sinnié's bedroom through the oculus in the roof and she had not slept in hours, so, carefully she ventured herself into the dungeons just to find her brother inside of the third cell to the right, sitting down looking at the sunrays come down into his cell.

"_Muindor _I tried…" she said sitting down next to the door of the cell. "I really did… and… I do not know how to save you", tears were coming out of Sinnié's eyes. Aldúnil jumped out of the trance the light had him and approached the door and reached out to his sister.

"Sinnié, do not blame yourself for what I did… I had a good life. Reckless, free, with some scratches and bumps, but a good life, and I don't want you thinking about what I won't be doing, because I dedicated to doing what I liked and thought right, what I felt passion for… Including women". He giggled by the end of that word. "Do not cry…"

"I feel so helpless! I know Galadriel sent me here for this but, I feel I made it even worse… I do not want to lose you, Aldúnil. You are my only brother. You're a part of me". She grabbed her brother's hand "I am so sorry."

"It will be alright Sinnié… If I meet father in the halls of Mandos, I will ask him to tell me his stories and mother's, and when you reach us at the end of the path, I will tell you all about it, just as I told you night time stories when we were kids."

"I will be seeing you…" her voice broke as she said these words.

"I will be seeing you" When Aldúnil finished the sentence, two pairs of guards came down the stairs for him.

They dragged him out of the cell and tied his hands together, then asked Sinnié to accompany them to the throne room for King Thranduil required them both.

"Gwaem" said one of the guards, sad and voice heavy since he knew Aldúnil well.

The King was not wearing a crown, but he was all dressed in silver, with a red robe with leaf patterns in red gold. He was standing right next to his throne, looking at the void. When they arrived, he walked down the steps of the throne stairs, yet without looking at any of the twins.

"These are dark times. In Erebor we were shown that our enemy endured, and, although I shall not tolerate insubordination at my ranks" he looked at the guards who were surrounding Aldúnil. "I am willing to change your sentence into a more suitable punishment for these times. I will not spill more elven blood and I cannot afford losing a great strategist and soldier like you Aldúnil, we will need you before this is over" Sinnié could not believe what she was hearing, Thranduil paid attention. Her legs tried to fail from exhaustion, but she would not allow them to. Her brother raised the look of amazement.

"Thank you, my king" Aldunil's body felt lighter now.

Even when he was willing to take death with a smile he was afraid, and if given the choice, he would stay.

"Your punishment however will take place today. The _Dosta en-restlas _will suffice your measure of insubordination. Tauriel will perform it." then with a hand gesture he made the red-haired she-elf enter the throne room "Take him, and make sure that he feels every blade."

"Yes my lord" she mumbled with a face carved in stone.

She led the escort out of the throne room and into a small clearing of grass and a couple of trees in the barracks with the hard sun entering from the cracked ceiling above. Sinnié and her maidens followed closely but they would not let them speak to Aldúnil. Her sister was worried but at least she knew that his life would be spared but his punishment, she had never seen it, but by its name and the severity everyone was treating it with, it seemed quite terrible.

"You had anything to do with this?" he asked Tauriel when they arrived to the clearing.

"Clothes" she signaled to the other guards without an emotion.

She wanted to make everyone think she was being harsh and disciplinary; however her continuous heavy breathing was breaking her façade. At least for those close that knew her and had a good reading on people, and Aldúnil was like that.

Two guards come from both sides and pulled from his garments slightly, and then one of them said:

"Goheno nin, Cáno" asking for forgiveness from their commander before starting.

"Av-'osto" he answered to calm them down.

The guards tore off his clothes leaving him naked from the torso and legs but keeping him only with undergarments. Tauriel looked at him, he had the body of a warrior fit but scared; some cuts and even burns here and there but most prominently an irregular scar that traveled through his upper left pectoral to the middle and touching his upper abdominals. A reminder to him from a deeper scare that was not visible.

The she-elf ordered him to stand in the middle of the trees to what he compelled obediently. Then the guards started to tie long ropes to his hands. Tauriel took on the task of one had on leaned close to him.

"I talked to him about your value, it may have something to do with it, but by what I saw, he had already taken this decision before I spoke" she said.

When she was finished tying the rope to his wrist she finally backed off and gave another order. Now the guards passed the rope above the tree branches and then pulled, making his arms hurt as they stretched up and sideways, lifting him off the ground.

He tried to resist the pain but his face turned red. By then, his sister, watching from a distance, was already upset by that barbaric practice, and about to lose control over watching his brother suffer.

"

_~Do not intervene ~" _He said in her sisters mind.

"_~but… ~_" she tried to argue.

"_~this needs to happen, for the sake of everyone. Thranduil is right in doing this; my insubordination cannot go unpunished in front of everyone. Do not make it harder for me and do not make it harder for Tauriel, please~_" he pleaded while looking at her as his feet were also being tied.

Sinnié accepted but barely. She was very terrified of what was to come if that was just the beginning, and very mad about watching it unfold without nothing to do to stop it.

When his feet were tied they also pulled them and stretched his whole body. He felt as his thorax was being ripped apart and every bone union was burning but he remained silent.

Thranduil arrived to the site with a host of guards; he paid no attention to anything but the punishment.

One of the guards handed Tauriel a metal tray with at least thirty normal looking leaves on it, but the only normal about them was their appearance. They were special leaves of a very unique kind of tree. They sustained high temperatures for long times and were thicker, yet sharper than any other known leaf.

Tauriel left the tray on a burning crenel so the leaves would heat up. When she waited, she was facing Aldúnil. She had not dared to look at him up until that very moment. When their eyes encountered Aldúnil knew she was struggling a lot for that. She was not one to enjoy the pain of others, not even of her enemies, even less of someone she considered innocent and a good person, one that he held dear in one way or the other, even if just as partners. Thranduil gave that task to her on purpose; it was a lesson for her too.

The leaves where finally ready and she took a clamp from another guard and picked one of them to then look at the king.

"Alae! _Dosta en-restlas" _Thranduil nodded in all seriousness so that Tauriel would proceed.

Sinnié would have expected that the King would even enjoy watching that, so it came as a surprise that he was so serious and maybe with a little shadow of remorse and disgust.

Tauriel got close to Aldúnil; the clamp with the leaf in front, while her remaining hand was only seen by him, trembling and pressing her fist against her chest. She extended the clamp with the heated leaf until it was less than an inch from Aldúnil's bear chest. Then she hesitated and stopped for a fraction of a second and looked at the elf that was looking back at her.

He inhaled and exhaled in an attempt to calm himself down and then nodded slightly enough so that anyone farther than Tauriel would notice.

The ginger was about to say something. Her glittering eyes closed once letting a couple of tears make a trail through her cheeks as if that was the doubt she had in her. Her face turned to absolute resolution and then it was cold as stone again; she pushed the leaf through the elf's chest.

It was sharper than any sword. It made its way inside him, tearing skin a flesh and burning him while entering, making a chirring sound as the heat met the fresh blood and burned it until it was deep enough that all the vital liquid had the leaf unheated and wet in red, making it crack as a normal leaf form the interior to the exterior, separating into many small splinters that made even more damage.

The clamps sustained only a small piece of the leaf that Tauriel disposed of as soon as she made sure that one had done as most damage as possible. He face changing from remorse to severity, passing through anguish and disgust over and over again without revealing too much but enough that Aldúnil would realize this. He tried to ignore the pain, to maintain himself free of complaining and take the punishment without a single moan. Partly because he did not want to make a show out of it, but mostly because he wanted to appear serene to his sister and make the exercise easier for Tauriel who would break down and lose authority or sanity in front of everyone, for her heart was too gentle for an atrocity as that. Even more if it was used in someone screaming his lungs out as if it was the worst pain endured in life. While it was the worst physical and sharp pain he imagined, he knew of worst pains in life, which helped him to maintain his serenity in that moment.

A second leaf entered his body, breaking into small pieces at the end. He now tensed each one of his muscles to contain the pain inside himself. While Tauriel did her work with more doubt every passing second.

The guards, the king, Sinnié, her maidens and some other nobles and officers in the army looked. Nobody liked it, nobody was cheering, and some even made an effort to look away without being noticed. Even the King was serious but tense and nerved to the core, no matter how many orders he had defiled he knew all that he had done in the past for him and Mirkwood, many of the scars that were already there existed in the name of defending that realm and the people within it. But he twisted his hand so much that he could not stop there, he could not show mercy and have others thinking that his orders would be disobeyed with such ease.

The ninth leaf entered in the flesh of his right thigh. The punishment was conceived in such a way that the sensible parts would be affected; however, it was made in specific points that were non-lethal to the punished. A method used since the first Kinslaying, developed so that those elves who would commit the ultimate crime against their own would endure such pain, then it evolved into a punishment in which the number of leaves could vary from two to half a hundred, depending on the crime. Still it was rarely used and only in dire times. Thranduil himself had only seen it once.

Now Aldúnil was sweating after the twelfth leaf. He leaned back his head but when he felt the heat of the thirteenth stopping before entering his body he looked at Tauriel again.

"Come on, you are doing this as if a human grandmother was caressing me" he said, trying to make the she-elf upset.

It worked, either making her angry or just encouraging her with some sense of humor, he did not exactly knew, his ability to read her was wearing off as he needed more and more of his conscious self to remain calm.

Another leaf broke inside him; his neck was burning now of the tension he was putting on it not to scream, like lifting tons upon tons of weight. He needed a relief. At first he started moaning, by the seventeenth leaf Tauriel was introducing them in his biceps and the strength needed to maintain his bones from breaking apart made the sharp leaves go deeper and tear more flesh.

The moaning started turning into screams. Tauriel looked at him once again, sweating like a fountain, barely conscious and with some drops of blood already tearing down the first wounds. Her hands were shaking now, uncontrollably, as if she had forgotten they had a public. She was tearing apart mentally and he physically, exactly what they were trying to avoid from the beginning but by now they could not care less about the others around. He wanted her to stop and she knew this was wrong, but if they stopped they would mock Thranduil's authority again and it would cost both their lives. They knew this; they were trapped.

"Tauriel" he called with his remaining strength "Finish it fast. Do you understand me? We can do this."

"I cannot continue" she looked at the clamp.

"Yes, you can and you must" he encouraged "Look at me, look at me."

The she-elf was also tensing her muscles not to cry but she looked him in the eyes.

"Remember how much of an idiot I am" he smiled, "Thank you… for doing this."

This caught Tauriel off guard, for she knew what he meant and that he really meant it. He was grateful that she did not decline to do it, this was more personal with someone he trusted and admired, with a leader of his instead of someone with a black mask on their face and a habit of doing that. That gave him strength. She faked her best smile at him, which was horrible.

He laughed in his insides. It was funny to see the almighty Capitan Tauriel to have such a noble weakness.

"Now, listen" he called her attention again, "I cannot hold it any longer, probably I am going to brake and scream very soon, even worst in the last ones, but no matter what you hear or see, you have to keep going."

"I know."

"Promise me you will keep going, on your honor."

Tauriel took a second to think what to say and then adopted semblance of duty and principle.

"I promise" she agreed and pushed the next leaf through the right bicep.

At first, he moaned but the moan turned into a dire scream that resounded in the entire silent city.

Sinnié was feeling a mixture between anger and the need to flee that place and stop watching, but she fought against it, she wanted to be there, with her brother, even more when all of that was finished.

The twenty-fourth leaf tore apart trough the muscles of his calves. His screams started to be so violent that many of the people left the place, disgusted of the act held there.

The screams started to grow weaker in sound but greater in pain as his lungs and throat ripped to pieces. Then he started to shake around in the air as if to avoid the burn and cuts, but to no avail. The thirtieth leaf and on until the end of the punishment —thirty five leaves in total— were meant to mark a way on the most sensible parts of his back.

Tauriel did not doubt now, but she made no repairs in hiding her aguish. She was trying to do it quickly as he said, so it would end faster.

His bleeding wounds pained him more when he shook off in pain. His voice was mute now and in the thirty-second leaf, his vocal chords had enough, his started coughing blood due to the soft flesh inside his throat breaking apart.

Sinnié closed her eyes and Thranduil stepped forward, wanting to end it, but the punishment was about to finish. It was best for everyone now that Tauriel finished even if he wanted to stop it now too.

When the ginger elf inserted another leaf she heard some mumbling from Aldúnil. She got in front of him to hear.

"Stop, please, stop…"

She was paralyzed as she felt a bucket of cold water poured down on her back. However, she made a promise to an Aldúnil that was fully conscious that might happen.

She reached for another leaf and pushed it through the trapezius.

"STOP! DARO! PLEASE!" he said loudly, but his voice was gone, his throat was undone and now it was as if an old weak man was talking.

He coughed some more blood.

Tauriel reached for the last leaf and looked back at Thranduil with an accusing look, he looked at her too, in his eyes there was compassion but his face had to remain as carved in fine ivory.

When Aldúnil looked at the last leaf, his look was that of a terrified child. Tears started to roll down his face as he tried to say something, but he could not speak now.

Tauriel looked at the guards holding the ropes, they were crying too and she soon noticed tears had invaded her own face.

"I am so sorry, Aldúnil. I am sorry Commander" she whispered, "Just one more and it is over."

She pushed the last leaf through his other shoulder as fast as she could. Then she dropped the clamps and gave the order to untie him and pull him down. The guards cut the ropes and Tauriel caught him, when the weight was proving to be too much she tried to draw strength but she realized she had been tensing her entire body too and was exhausted. She was going to fall with Aldúnil until someone else helped her, a guard she presumed. When she looked she found the King staining his robes with blood without caring about it, just lending a hand so that the punished elf would not fall to the ground. When Tauriel and Thranduil looked at the elf he had already passed out.

Aldúnil opened his eyes to the light of twilight entering trough a crack in the west wall. When he tried to move, it felt like dozens of little needles perforating his skin. Then he remembered the _Dosta en-restlas_ each part of it until his hands where untied and he lost consciousness. He remembered the pain and every sharp leaf, but what happened around him in the final cuts was a mystery since he only recalled pleading and crying. He felt a shiver and tried to erase the imagery from his mind. He looked around, he was in his usual quarters, which was good and gave him familiarity for a change. He looked at his chest, arms and legs and noticed that his wounds were almost closed.

On his side, Sinnié was sleeping on a chair. She was as beautiful as usual, but her hair had a couple of threads out of place. The only way to realize she had been there all night.

He could not help but smile looking at her and he reached to take his sister's hand.

At that very moment Tauriel entered the room worried, followed by another elf with a tray full of food. She looked at Aldúnil taking her sister's hand. The elf retired for he was not ready to reveal they were brothers; however Tauriel took it in another way. Her face turned hard.

Sinnié woke up and, after looking at the scene, held her own impulse of hugging his brother.

"Good morning, Aldúnil" the ginger elf said, "The healers said you would wake up today, so I brought you breakfast."

The tray was left on the side of his bed and the one carrying it got out of the room.

"Tauriel" Sinnié greeted without a lot of emotion. Tauriel lowered her head once as an answer

"Tauriel…" the elf said dimly, his voice still failing a little thanks to the damage.

After what happened, his perspective about her changed. Not only he knew now she was a lot stronger that what he would have conceived but he believed living that as partners had made them transcend, since they now knew each other on a very deep and different level and her visiting him personally confirmed that theory.

"How are you feeling?" she asked with a smile.

"I am good, apparently your _Dosta en-restlas_ is pretty bad" he joked and she smiled again.

"Or you had a very good healer" she answered.

"About that, how long was I out" he asked to both she-elves.

"Today is the fourth day" Sinnié answered.

"Four days?!" he was surprised.

"Apparently, you are a little weaker than expected" Tauriel joked now.

"Well, maybe you should go through this punishment too and we can compare" Aldúnil stated.

Tauriel laughed for herself.

"I will come back later if you do not mind, right now I have other duties, there have been raids nearby" she said and made her way out without saying goodbye to Sinnié.

"I do not like her" Sinnié said.

"Why?" Aldúnil made a gesture of mere confusion.

"Well, how about because she inserted thirty five sharp leaves inside of your body?"

"She had no choice. As a matter of fact, Sinnié, I am glad she did it" he confessed.

"Well, you have always had a weakness for red haired women; I guess she being a beautiful red haired elf is even more your weakness."

"It is not like that. She is my superior and a fellow soldier; we are brothers in arms, Sinnié."

"It doesn't matter… come here" she hugged her brother as hard as she could without hurting him, "I am so glad you are fine."

"Thank you for being here" he said.

"In all honesty, I took turns with Tauriel and even Thranduil came personally twice."

"Uhh, _twice_" Aldúnil mocked him.

"Well, he was suffering what you went through, and in the end he personally helped carrying you here, you know?" Sinnié said in the king's defense.

Aldúnil sighed and shrugged.

"He is not a bad king, he is just far more stubborn than a mule" he admitted, "At any rate, I should be out there with my men fighting."

"With Tauriel, you mean" Sinnié mocked his brother.

"I told you…"

"…it is not like that. I know" she said, "You cannot even move freely yet, you cannot be fighting, soon enough."

From the entrance, the blond elf maiden Fariel came in. She was carrying a bowl with water and a piece of cloth.

"It is time for your wound cleaning" Sinnié said stepping up, "She will clean you and remain here until Tauriel comes to check on you."

"I do not need a caretaker!" he yelled to his sister.

"Yes, you do" she finally said as she got out of the room.

"Milord" the maiden greeted with outmost class.

"I am no lord, Fariel. You can call me by my name" he answered with a smile.

The maiden took a sit on Aldúnil's side and prepared to wash his wounds.

"But you are a knight, are you not, sir?" she said with a tender and musical voice.

"Well, yes… but you still can call me Aldúnil" he stated and she smiled back at him.

She started to clean him, the warm water was medicated with some herbs that made him feel less pain, that, along with the touch of the maiden.

They talked of banalities while she cleaned him up. He was the one that talked the most since she seemed inexperienced in almost everything for what he figured that she was a young elf of maybe a couple hundred years.

She asked him to turn on his back to clean him to, now he could move more freely.

"Well, I am an uncommon elf" he said.

"I have noticed" she said as if longing for something, "What you endured was a lot for any race."

"I cried like a little child" Aldúnil said jokingly lying on his back again after the elf had finished cleaning him. She laughed too.

"With good reason…" she started touching the wounds of the elf with her bare hands and with no purpose of cleaning, "… sir."

When she realized what she was doing she left the bowl with water on the side in shame, when she was about to step up to go away Aldúnil grabbed her by the arm and looked deep into his eyes.

"You told me earlier that you longed for new experiences" he affirmed and the blond elf nodded shyly. "If you want my help, I am here."

He caressed her arm and let her go.

She walked out of the room frightened.

"Well, that went differently in my head. No doubt elves are harder than humans" he said to himself and walked out of bed to stretch as much as he could now that his body was not in pain.

He heard the door opening again and believed it was Tauriel coming back.

"It was about ti…" he saw Fariel standing there, shy. However she closed the door with lock behind her.

Aldúnil seemed confused at first. Then the blonde maiden walked towards him and caressed his chest.

"I am new to this, but I do want these experiences" she said.

He caressed her cheek and then kissed her.

"I promise you, that you are safe" was his last words to her before starting.

He kissed her and guided her slowly. He stripped out of her garments until they were both completely naked in front of each other. She seemed nervous but willing, innocent but with a wolf inside her wanting to come out.

He lifted her and then put her with frailty on his bed to then start caressing slowly each part of her skin with passion and softness. Making her comfortable and ready. He kissed her skin, her breasts and her lips over and over again. He touched her most sensible spots making her moan of pleasure.

Bit by bit she left herself go until she was active part of the act. She asked him to do it so he kissed her legs open and started making love to her. Slowly at first so she would feel good with it until he laid down and let her sit in him so she would mark the rhythm himself.

He thanked for his life, for another opportunity to do that with such a fair maiden elf. That was some of the greatest pleasures in life, he could not understand how the elves were so reserved to it.

She started moving, pleasuring but. He used his hands too all the time, he wanted her to know how good and pleasurable those kind of experiences where.

Instinctively she grinded while on him, making both of them moan out of desire. While one of his hands also helped in her pleasure the other grabbed her by the waist, then she leaned in, grabbing his hands by the wrists and putting them on the sides, she kissed him and smirked and laughed out of pleasure.

Then he grabbed her again and took control. Putting her back on the bed, making her arch her back and end in ecstasy. They continued until they both climaxed together. Then they lay down on the bed and she fell asleep.

Later he was laying down over his chest resting after the recent events when suddenly her sister's voice echoed in his mind.

"~_I forgot to mention, you owe me one Aldúnil. I talked king Thranduil out of executing you~."_

"~_So, it was you. Tauriel and I wondered ~"_

"~_I never thought it would turn out this way so you're in eternal debt with me _~" She told her brother, grabbing her pillow to fluff it up a bit and feeling good after how it all came out in the end. Then a wild thought from his brother invaded her mind, the thought Fariel lying naked on his side. "_~you had to sleep with her as well? She was supposed to only take care of you~"_

"_~Sinnié I was about to DIE and suddenly the smirk face of Thranduil decides not to kill me, I wanted to celebrate! Are you not happy? Besides, I can say that she took very good care of me. ~" _He answered cackling out loud. The blonde she-elf was curled up next to him, fast asleep. He stared at her for moments just before he heard the answer to his sister.

"_~what is wrong with you? Of course I'm happy for you but Fariel… Why? ~_" she said as she threw the pillow to the wall and laid down in her bed, looking straight into the oculus, which allowed her to see the stars.

"_~Why not? Are you afraid she might like it too much and ends up being MY hand maiden?" _said this he moved some hairs from the blond elf to clear out her face.

"_~she's twenty eight! ~_" Sinnié also yelled out loud, provoking an echo throughout the room. Naniel; Fariel's sister ran in worried for her mistress. She dismissed her with a hand gesture and started putting on her night gown.

"_~Decades? Amazing I would have sworn that she was maybe less than three hundred years. ~" _

"_~ Years Aldúnil, twenty eight! Just twenty eight! You should be ashamed of yourself! She's just a girl! ~_

" _~ By Fingoflin's sword!~" _he opened his eyes widely feeling very guilty, but as soon as he looked at her fair face and curved naked body he felt great again although somehow disturbed_, "~ What do they teach them these days? But if it's of some consolation she moved as if she was far older ~" _then, it hit both of them, the image that Sinnié saw early in Thranduil's chambers, his naked chest, and the fire scar, "_~Sinnié… What exactly did you do when you said you tried to help me…? ~" _his voice sounded in between anger and worry.

"_~I am not like you! How dare you think of me like that! ~" _although her brother could not see her face, she blushed, hiding her face in her pillow, how did she allowed her thoughts send her brother such image? "~_Good night Aldúnil! ~" _

As if she had shut a door, Aldunil's mind was close to any communication with his sister for the night. Although they had just passed the danger and the horrid idea of losing one another, she knew that it wasn't the moment to talk about that, they had the rest of their lives for that, and due to this even, she would not leave his side so easily. She smiled relieved and covered herself with the bed covers, to slowly fall asleep, as her brother did the same thing. Aldúnil thanked a thousand times for having his sister in these times, but his thoughts were distracted by a blonde she-elf waking up and tempting him to repeat his recent act by kissing his neck and he could not deny that right to her.


	4. Spiders

**4\. Spiders**

She made her way through the stairs to Aldúnil's quarters. Unfortunately her guard ended up in confrontation with some spiders, but no casualties were presented. However she needed to take a bath before looking after him, after all she could not go around there with black blood on her face. Yes, that was the reason.

She turned left but froze to what she saw. The blond maiden of lady Sinnié was coming out of the room. She was badly dressed and sneaky, especially because it was early morning. Her hair was a mess. It was pretty evident what happened, after all Aldúnil had created fame for himself.

Tauriel sighed and a fire inside her burned. She was worried and he was apparently very fine. What disrespect to lady Sinnié and to her that also took care of him. Her chest stung and she made her way to the room and opened the door roughly.

"You! Excuse of an elf. You had us worried but, apparently, you are very fine" she said to him whose expression was that of a child caught on the act and being reprehended by his mother.

"Good morning" he covered himself, as he was still naked.

"oh, nobody minds about your body, get up" she said.

"Fine, fine…" he said leaving the bed naked to put on clothes.

"Fine, what?"

"Fine, sir" he paused. "Am I not ill to do my duties?"

"At the very least you will do guard for the time being as apparently you can move just fine" she said accusingly. However Aldúnil stopped dressing and pointed at her while half closing his eyes.

"And how would you know that?" he asked. The ginger elf seemed even more upset but she could not find an answer for a minute.

"that is not of your concern" she finally said.

"Did you spied on me?"

"What? Of course not you ignorant orc!" she replied offended.

"Then you must be experienced on these matters to know what happened in my chambers…" he said as he put a short sleeve shirt on him. She was unable to answer again. "oh you are! Who was it? Kili? Or Legolas before? Was his father Thranduil? Both of them?!"

"Be quiet, one more of those and I will put you through an equal punishment as the last" her fair white skin had some small traces of red now; something that he had only seen on a few elves, especially during long combats or training, "I want you in the barracks in ten minutes, or at the very least I will have you whipped."

"Yes, sir!" he said with a big smile on his face. The ginger elf groaned in fury and walked out of the place.

Next to the throne room, Sinnié was waiting for her brother since Fariel had already showed up to service. Although she disliked her brother's lust, she permitted Fariel to get some rest. Besides she wanted to know every corner of Mirkwood if possible. This was her first time in a long time that she left Lothlorien or even eons since she left her aunt Galadriel's wing. A broad sense of adventure was taking over the elf, but her brother was nowhere to be seen, so she hooked to the adventure feeling and searched for him. Until the dim voice of her brother reached her, saying: _why did it had to be push-ups? _Vaguely and faintly, with a funny expression in his face, she assumed. She walked towards the barracks, where a platoon of soldiers were carrying out very heavy training regimes, in a wide room surrounded by trees that made an arch above them, letting just the right sunrays through. At the end of the corridor, she saw Tauriel siting on a bench and counting in elvish, with her feet on her brother's back, while he did push-ups soaked in sweat and with a red face.

With complete indignation, she walked right in between the soldiers training, forcing them to stop and bow to her in respect. All Thranduil's soldiers looked at her wondering why a high born lady would be in their barracks. Tauriel raised her sight and saw the very upset elf walking towards her.

"May I speak with Aldúnil, Captain Tauriel?" Sinnié asked with a severe look. However Tauriel did not move from her position.

"What for? He needs to keep training. If I allow him to rest more than he should he will become slow, and therefore we would not need him anymore, that is why he is here, right now" Aldúnil was buffing in exhaustion and stopped his movement for a second. "Why do you stop?"

"I finished" he answered tired.

"Give me fifty more and you are finished… with the push-ups."

"The matters I must speak with him are none of your concern Captain" the lady said. "I will give him back to you for his training when I finish my business with him, besides… if you over exhaust him, he will not be of use as well."

Tauriel then remembered that just a day ago he had been in bed after being punished in one of the most severe ways, so, she removed her feet from the commander's back and helped him stand up, then ordered him clean himself. Aldúnil obeyed and smiled to his sister before leaving.

"How long have you known Commander Aldúnil, Lady Sinnié?"

"A very long time… He is very close to my heart" Sinnié answered, without thinking on what she just said. Tauriel walked towards her, looking now downwards, for some reason she felt embarrassed, "but I could assume he never spoke about me."

"No he did not, my lady… I suppose his life has ever been a mystery to me."

"It has, even for me, the only clearness I have is that he has very few dear things, and he will never break an oath even if that means that he must give up on his life" Sinnié smiled to Tauriel, which seemed less embarrassed than moments ago, they both laughed.

"He is rather unusual for an elf, is he not?"

"Indeed…" she looked at the ginger she-elf. "I know it must had been hard for you to perform de Dosta en-restlas, I never thought it would turn out so brutal. You are very brave" Sinnié smiled.

Tauriel remained quiet for a second, looking down in deep thought.

Until that moment, nobody had mentioned that except barely the king. She was caught off guard since she felt Sinnié might not be quite convinced of what she was saying and she would not blame her. She would not be convinced herself. She still struggled with what she did and why she did it. Maybe it was out of fear more than respect but thinking on what he said during the punishment, thinking that she was better doing this rather than someone without empathy and seeing it as a routine. Sometimes she would think he was being condescending in that moment, but she knew better than that. Nevertheless, her conscience was haunting her and would do it for a while, maybe it was the price someone had to be burdened with in order for him not dying. Maybe it was unavoidable.

"Thank you" that was all she could afford to say at that moment.

Sinnié saw something that sparked a bit of curiosity in her; given more time she may have read her well enough to know something maybe the ginger elf herself did not know but Aldúnil appeared back again.

Tauriel was called by another soldier and she warned the elf to be back soon for his day was not even close to be over. When Sinnié asked why she was pushing him, he smiled.

"She is just a hard boss."

Sinnié knew her brother well enough to know that was not all of it. However, she also knew it was nothing important. Probably his brother being the buffoon he usually was. Aldúnil walked his sister towards the main garden of the castle.

In Lasgalen the winter was inexistent, and no snow should ever drop, allowing this perpetual spring to endure through the ages. At least two acres of land were surrounded with tall trees, marking the terrain for the garden. As you made yourself inside, rarer and darker the flowers and plants turned, making a beautiful yet gothic palate of colors with beautiful plants and such a peaceful environment. In this moment she understood why King Thranduil could be so protective of what they had there, of that way of life. He had the world he needed in his kingdom. It was filled with exotic and celestial flowers, which glowed with a mystic aura, illuminated by the sun rays that were coming down through the tree branches, with a perpetual green, fruit trees in bloom and unique trees with branches filled with braids of different color flowers. Sinnié smiled like a little girl when her eyes saw the sight.

"I knew you would like this place" Aldúnil said, sitting on a marble bench bellow a white flower tree, "I like it too, but I am no big fan of flowers."

"Muindor, it is dazzling!" without further notice, Sinnié threw herself towards her brother's arms. She didn't care if someone saw them; she had the right to hug her own brother. After a long night and a horrid sight of him being tortured and punished, all that she wanted was to hold him in her arms and cry. And so she did, "Never do that again!" the elf looked at Sinnié surprised, but answered back to her hug, triggering in the she-elf some tears. Although they were elves, between them, their signs of affection were very human, that particular aspect had ingrained deep within their nature.

"Please, Sinnié, stop crying" Aldúnil whispered to her, caressing her hair in consolation, "I am alright now… You are making my wounds hurt but I am alive."

"Sorry…" she retired from her brother's arms and sat beside him, looking towards the sky, covered in a golden-green aura, "long has passed the last time we hugged. I wish not to ever need to hug you for the reasons I did this time Aldúnil… Please think at least that you have a sister that will mourn your death right after cursing you for being this foolish."

"You know that even if I thought of you mourning me, I will do whatever I feel and know in my heart that is right… but you have all the rights to curse me if you want, though little effect your words would have on a corpse" he said with a smile.

Sinnié punched him in the arm, making him bend it in pain, laughing for making his sister angry

"I have missed you."

"So have I… even accompanied by Galadriel and Celeborn, I often felt alone. I think that was the main reason she let me come here, besides saving you."

"Tell me that it did not involve Thranduil and you fooling around" he made a funny disgust face ending this sentence.

"Of course not! I can; unlike you, control the desires of the flesh" but before the elf could answer wittingly, one of the soldiers of the barracks; a brown-haired green-eyed elf, came running into the garden, saluting them.

"What is it?" asked Aldúnil, standing up saluting the soldier with a fist in his chest and a slow bow.

"Pardon me commander, but you are required by Captain Tauriel, she says is urgent" Aldúnil left his seat and before leaving he kissed his sister's hands, and assured her that she could venture into the garden as much as she wanted.

When they were at the entrance of the barracks, Aldúnil stopped his friend and asked:

"Lairion what happened? You seem worried."

"Some men found more spiders, closer than the last time, their nests have increased in number, and Captain Tauriel wants us to accompany her to clean the area" he said after running his fingers to comb backwards his long hair.

"Very well, let me arm myself and well part" Aldúnil ran towards the armory while Tauriel, Lairion and a third soldier walked towards the entrance of the castle.

Meanwhile Sinnié paced around Thranduil's garden, breathing the warm perpetual spring air that flowed all around her. After making sure no one was picking, she took of her shoes and let herself feel the grass beneath her feet. A pleasant rush of life ran through her spine with each step. The trees and flowers whispered to her, some of them sang, some of them recited poetry, all in a harmonious chorus of life being celebrated at each waking moment. A transparent butterfly flew around her as she walked towards a darker corner of the garden, where purple roses of different tones were growing next to a pond at the level of the ground where water lilies floated in harmony surrounded by a couple of fireflies. She sat by the pond, playing with the water with the tip of her fingers, watching the waves create and dance all over, making her hum some melodies about fairies that built castles made out of water lilies.

Suddenly she saw herself 6500 younger, in a quiet village, playing in the same way with the water in the town's well with one hand, while watched her brother play with other town kids with wooden swords by the corner of her eye, dodging the people that walked around. She never joined them for much she liked, her books always casted a spell on her as soon as she opened, making her finish them before doing anything else.

A smile decorated her face, remembering the good times in their quiet human village while the hours passed by, until one of her guards cleared his throat trying not to startle her, and get her attention.

"Pardon the interruption milady, there is someone who would like to talk to you" the guard said as he bowed to Sinnié. She stood up and regained her majestic presence.

"With me? Who knew I was coming here?"

"It is best if we hurry to the throne room milady" her guard said as he entered the castle again, followed by Sinnié.

The first thought that crossed Sinnié's mind was that the king wanted to talk about Aldúnil, making her shiver. But if that was the case, Thranduil himself would have approached her in the garden. And that wasn't the case; instead, one of her own guards came for her. Something then troubled her, and all the peace she felt in the garden faded away as a dark shadow covered her and everything surrounding her with her gift of sight.

When they arrived to the throne room, she recognized immediately the visitor. It was Meldiron, Galadriel's personal messenger. He bowed to her as she entered his sight and then adopted a very formal posture.

"Lady Sinnié, I have come here on behalf of Lady Galadriel, to warn you about the darkness that is growing over Mirkwood, and it is coming from Dol Guldur."

"I thought those forsaken lands were cleaned by the white wizard, lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel" Thranduil's voice echoed in the room, while he stepped down from the left wing stair, "I shall not risk more men in futile quests."

"King Thranduil" Meldiron and Sinnié bowed.

"The last time I joined a campaign, too much elven blood was spilled, I will not pay that price again over some spider nests" he walked towards his throne but did not sat on it.

"My lord, you need to realize the graveness of this matter, for if you do not, more elvish blood will be spilled at your behalf, by ignoring the events that in this very moment are happening" Sinnié replied. Thranduil arched one brow and looked at the she-elf.

"it appears; Lady Sinnié, that you enjoy challenging me as much as Commander Aldúnil" he smirked.

"If Mirkwood falls, the enemy will have a perfect hiding place, and you would be the first one to fall into their trap by letting it happen" the eyes of the she-elf glowed in anger.

"King Thranduil, Lady Galadriel is much worried about the safety of our kin, she knows that even though she casted away Sauron's spirit to the east, something still dwells in those terrains" Meldiron replied, keeping a calm tone, "and it is no longer kept in Dol Guldur. Your surroundings; my king, are covered with spider web, closer and closer each time."

"I do not think you are the ones with whom I need to discuss tactical matters" Thranduil was putting an end to the conversation. "You underestimate the might of my people if you think we are letting them take this lands but a full front confrontation in the enemy's fortress is not what I would call the best strategic action…"

He was promptly interrupted by loud and fast paces going up the stairs.

"Take him to the healers, quick!" a female voice said in elvish.

From the stairs, Aldúnil arrive rushing, jumping two stairs at a time. With black blood stained clothes and hands, a bleeding wound in his shoulder and a cut in his cheek.

"Aldúnil!" Sinnié walked towards his brother worried, but he looked at her, warning her to stay away not to arise suspicion so she had to swallow her instinctive reactions.

Tauriel was second, it had been her voice giving orders. She was in the same dirty condition as the male elf, she had a bleeding scrape on her forehead.

"What is the meaning of this, Tauriel?" Thranduil was worried.

"Hirin vuin" She respectfully saluted "Spiders!"

"My lord, Thranduil." Aldúnil added "We chased a group of spiders south and we killed them all in their nest, but…"

"As soon as we were coming back hundreds of them jumped on us, we barely made it out alive. When we looked back they were regrouping south but they stopped the chase. Some orcs were spotted along the way too. My king, I think they are coming from Dol Guldur."

"King Thranduil," Meldiron stepped ahead calling the king's attention. The two present warriors looked at him wondering, "This is exactly what my lady fears. We believe the reminders of the tower of sorcery are welcoming those of Mount Gundabad, they are rallying but we do not know why."

The king sat on the throne, worried and looking at the void in front of him.

"I think he is right, my king" Tauriel added.

"What do you want of me?" Thranduil asked in anguish. "I lost nearly a fifth of our force in Erebor, I cannot send more elves to die."

"Maybe they will not die a week from now if you do not send them." Sinnié said. "But this lands will be consumed by darkness along with its people if you refuse to meet them head on and root them off once and for all."

Thranduil looked at her and took a deep breath.

"My king," Tauriel intervened again "We have been running from our homes in the south far too long, we cannot go any further without meeting the mountains or mount Gundabad."

"What you saw, Tauriel. Was it really that troublesome?" He asked in doubt and the red-haired elf nodded. "So much elven blood spilled…"

"My king!" Aldúnil interrupted in a defying tone. Thranduil looked at him and seemed worried that the elf would challenge him yet again, even after his punishment but then the elf lowered his voice, took a closed fist to his heart and kneeled in front of the king. "We are sworn to die for or people at our king's order, and none of us shall think twice if you order us to go."

Thranduil's breathing calmed down and in his eyes some gratitude was drawn quickly substituted by confidence. He was the elf that had it worst from him, Aldúnil had endured a punishment beyond any other, ordered by him, yet he was there reassuring him his army would follow, including him. He felt lucky to have such an outstanding soldier, he was loyal beyond any judgment and he doubted if he deserved that but he also knew what was the right thing to do.

"What do you need?" he asked Meldiron.

The elf smiled and nodded.

"Lady Galadriel will have an army ready from the West, she asks for your force to strike from the North. We meet in Dol Guldur in one week." He explained.

Thranduil turned his back and thought for a moment.

"Capitan Tauriel," he called while everyone was thrilled in expectation "assemble the army!"

Tauriel bowed and headed out along with Aldúnil who looked at his sister with a comforting smile.

Even when she knew and wanted Thranduil to act, she knew this meant Aldúnil being in the front lines of battle yet again and that was something that worried her.

"I ride as the wind to give this news to my lady." Meldirion announced.

"Go safe and be hasty, for we march at dawn." Thranduil informed.

The messenger bowed to Thranduil and then to Sinnié to then go down the stairs in a hurry. Then the king dismissed his guards with a look, he stepped up his throne and took the stairs down, when he was near Sinnié he looked at her.

"Thank you, king Thranduil" she said and he smirked.

"You maybe old, but you are eager, I can tell you have not seen darkness such as this." He said and Sinnié silence just confirmed his suspicions. "I hope your aunt is not wrong on this call and that you and your kin are as wise as her…" He kept walking, and finished his sentence without looking at her. "Because we are running head on towards darkness as there is few on this world."

He then disappeared, leaving Sinnié thinking about what was ahead of them. Somehow she felt that she needed to show as much bravery as everyone right then, she was insisting in a war she had not taught taking part of and after what Thranduil said to her she felt as a youngling talking of what she did not understand, even if in her heart she trusted Lady Galadriel to the death and she knew she was right.

The night was long for everyone, the next day they would be slowly marching to an uncertain fate. They knew this was the right thing to do, however they also were aware that it was dangerous, perhaps too dangerous to go and meet an unknown enemy head on and it was more comfortable staying there, defending the terrain they called home, until one they the enemy was too much to handle, then…

Tauriel was one of the main ones thinking about that, somehow she was afraid of going. It was natural, few soldiers would say they are not afraid to go to battle and play dice with their lives but fear was overcome by courage and duty, that's what they were there for. However this time the fear was different, the could all feel it, as if invisible fingers of death were tangling on them, ready to take them. An unknown fear that did not lay dormant anymore. An ancient fear. She would think of possibilities, a middle ground to staying there or going to war but there was no viable answer that she could think of.

Laying on her bed, looking through the cracks on the walls, outside and towards the sky and stars. She could not avoid thinking of Kili. It was not less painful than before, but she was stronger. However, losing someone so dear to her in the heat of a battle like she had never seen before had taken a toll on her. She was heading to something similar and she was afraid of losing more. Maybe Thranduil was hard on her but, in a way, he was family. He was the only thing she knew beside Legolas from her childhood. He took care of her and even some times gave her counsel. Legolas would not be there but she had another person that kept appearing in her mind, she would shake that thoughts off repeatedly without avail, she finally started thinking why he would be in her mind so much but fell asleep before she could even come up with an answer.

Before the first light ten thousand elves of various parts of Mirkwood were waking up to get ready for war. They went down to the armory and barracks to get their equipment ready. Swords sharpened, shields mended and armors on. Officers shouted orders here and there, preparing their soldiers for what would come.

Aldúnil was walking to his room to get ready and his sister intercepted her.

"Muindor! I will come with you."

"Out of the question, no."

"I know I have to be part of this, I cannot just stand by and…"

"I said no."

"You are not a boss of mine! I will be coming with you." She said angrily and determined.

Aldúnil took a deep breath and grabbed her sister to then take her upstairs and trough some halls quickly until they arrived to an open balcony that was hig above the barrack grounds.

"I may not command you but I do have all those lives in my hands, I do command them and I will not have you fighting alongside of them for a whim" he pointed at several soldiers formed up and dressed in golden armors, ready for war.

Sinnié was going to reply something but an order was shouted to the soldiers on the ground and each of them moved in perfect harmony to give a ninety degree turn and then start marching at the exact same time as if they were one body and one mind.

"You have no idea of what war is, you cannot fight and you will not let me concentrate as I should because I will need to protect you. Sinnié, this is not an adventure where a couple of orcs might jump on us from which I can protect you, this will be a battle in which a lose end in that working army can be the end of us all." He explained.

Sinnié looked down, disappointed and his brother grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Please, do not let us say farewell under this circumstances. I promise you that in my return I will train you is that good?" he proposed.

"Muindor…" She looked at him and forced a smile on her tearing face.

She had no idea what his brother was heading to, she had just opened her eyes to something she had ignored. She may have read a lot in her years, devoured book after book but those were only subject to her own imagination. She believed she knew what war was about because she read about it, but only know she understood it was more complicated and darker than that.

She hugged her brother strong as a way to wish him good journey. No common tongue or elvish was spoken, only that what the heart could understand better, their own affection.

She helped him jump in his armor faster and finally smiled after looking at his always-ranger-looking brother in such a fine uniform. His was gold but embedded with some different features in comparison to that of his subordinates or superiors, the main difference was on the helmet he picked up and put between his elbows and ribs. The two crests on upper part traveled to the sides instead of going to the back.

He sister looked at him with tears in her eyes; they hugged again and stayed as long as they could in their brotherly embrace until it was finally the time for him to head out. He smiled one last time and left in haste as his sister looked at him go, knowing the risks and feeling great impotence.

Aldúnil went down to the barracks and made sure with his officers everything was going well to then report to the army captain and the guard captain last one being Tauriel.

At exactly the first light, the doors of the mountain opened and the horns sounded. The army started marching out in orderly fashion and thin lines. The rangers divided and ran through the forest and climbed trees to serve as scouts. From the gate tower Aldúnil watched as the army advanced below him. Behind him Tauriel arrived, dressed in her silver personalized armor too. They looked at each other and he smiled at her with nervousness, she knew he was afraid too, she knew she could feel that darkness too but little did they know why he and Sinnié felt it stronger.

A call from blood.


	5. The Siege of Dol Guldur

**5\. The Siege of Dol Guldur**

Their pacing was steady during the day, while the nights turned quieter each passing day. The army was marching an average of forty miles in one day, a great feat even for elves. The only took lembas with them and enough water for the going journey then they would wait for supplies. Other than that, their armor and weapons were the only burden they carried so they could march faster and meet their allies on time, with a window of time long enough to plan and carry a swift attack that would end the threat. The few hours they needed to sleep they did on the ground or trees and in three separate turns so, two thirds of the host were armed and ready at all times in case of contingency.

They clashed with some spiders along the way, they found a small army of orcs getting closer but the rangers and archers ambushed them with proficiency having only two causalities.

As they advanced, the forest grew darker and thicker. The soldiers started to march with heavy hearts and watchful eyes, maybe they would not get lost there like commoners but they felt up close that obscure energy that was turning the trees twisted and saddened. Great, dark forces.

The King led the army in the forefront of the whole force with Tauriel at her side and the guard close by mounted in tall stallions. Right behind them, Aldúnil was in front of his own legion; the biggest of the three there with almost seven thousand strong, behind his men the other two commanders lead their own legions but on his left side was walking the main and most consecrated of generals or captains of the King. Being one of the two that commanded the entirety of the army, the only ones out of his jurisdiction and hierarchy were the ones of the royal guard such as Tauriel who was an equal to him and both only answered to Thranduil himself.

On his right side was walking one of his lieutenants; he had seven that took care of a thousand soldiers each and they had two auxiliaries and so on. The armies of the elves were fabled for their great capacity in tactics and discipline; this was, of course, due to great minds ordered in a certain hierarchy that made everything more fluid. However, no matter how good or disciplined they were, they did not know what they were up against and as the march went forward each and every one of them had more and more doubts about their chances and if that whole war machine would even work. Orcs, spiders, goblins, even trolls they could take on, but something unknown was where they were going and many of them had seen great powers in motion to know well that there were many things their thorough organization would not be able to stop.

Aldúnil had never seen lady Galadriel in a battle, in fact he had hardly seen her in her elegant gowns in her own domains but he hoped the tales told about her would do her justice. He hoped that she would be able to hold back whatever they were going to face, because swords, arrows and spears would only pierce flesh.

The last four days the scouts warned a few times about enemies ahead but when they were ready to ambush them or meet them head on, it was only to find they had retreated south, to their fortress.

Thranduil's fears were becoming a reality, the enemy knew they had a very strong fort in Dol Guldur and that there; their forces had a better chance to outlast them. If the worst happened he would have walked into the enemy's jaws, leaving his people without a third of their current force and after their heavy losses in Erebor that would be a hit they wouldn't be able to reemerge from.

On the very last two days they had marched enough to have longer rests to sleep and actually stop to eat so they would arrive in good conditions for a fight. Therefore, they did.

Given the first light of the deadline the sun illuminated a big fortress with black towers on the southern horizon. As the woods cleared a bit the structure looked more powerful; now even the horses were restless and the elves felt the malice inside Dol Guldur; thick enough to make the air hard to breath in and dark enough for many to question if Sauron may have returned to Dol Guldur even after lady Galadriel and the White Council casted him out.

Everyone started to look around restless, then the whispers were so many at the same that it was impossible not to hear them: They asked where Lorien and their forces were and where was lady Galadriel? They started to fear they were left alone.

Maybe Lorien forces were forced to stay in their land, maybe to protect it or maybe they arrived before them and…

When the king felt the army's unrest he took a deep breath, looking at Dol Guldur and drove his elk through his guard along with Tauriel, both with a façade of confidence.

"Aldúnil, tolo ar nin." The king said to him and then he looked at the general, "Car i hossë." The general nodded and started shouting formations.

Tauriel got close to Aldúnil in her horse and lent a hand to the commander so he hopped on the horse behind her. At first, he felt uncomfortable and he did not know why but his hands traveled quickly to the saddle even if it was unpractical.

"Gwaem!" Thranduil shouted and started riding at all speed followed closely by Tauriel and a couple of guards.

Aldúnil almost falls from the horse but he pressed with his thighs.

"Be not a child now!" Tauriel took one of his hands and drove it to her waist. Aldúnil felt his chest burn but he knew it was no time for anything like that so he took his other hand around the red-haired elf's waist.

They rode drawing a quarter of a circle around the hill of sorcery, with the fortress in their left at all times. They went as fast as the horses could go, then the king started to slow down until he stopped and looked around with discontent.

"Where are they?" he asked just loudly enough so Tauriel and Aldúnil would hear him since they were the first ones to arrive on his side.

~_There is a great darkness here~ _a voice resounded in every corner of Aldúnil's mind.

When he looked around to find were it came from he noticed everyone else was doing the same, however the horses were calm for the first time since they arrived.

_~Ancient known spirits dwell inside that fortress, old darkness that I think I have felt before, but I do not know where~_

Thranduil climbed down his horse, followed by others and then he and Aldúnil looked south and remained with their eyes fixated into one place. The guards and Tauriel seemed to be confused at first but then caught up with the feeling that drove the first two to look there. A warm feeling, suddenly they felt protected as if in a bubble where the evil from Dol Guldur would not reach them.

From the brush and between the trees a white figure appeared. An elf; as beautiful as a sunrise, with strings of golden long hair, blue eyes of sky and skin as fair as porcelain. She was barefoot as usual and had a white light dress on her with no more than a couple of silver steel plates in abdomen area. Her hair was held in place by a silver tiara with transparent stones. Behind, Celeborn followed covered in light armor and leading a couple of Lorien guards whose only task was to protect their lady. Not far on their side, two tall figures appeared, one in white robes and the other in grey: The istari Saruman and Gandalf.

As soon as they saw her, Thranduil and Aldúnil bowed their heads so did Tauriel and the other guards.

"We are sorry for the delay," Celeborn spoke once he was close enough "we had to fight our way across the Anduin."

"My lord Celeborn." Thranduil bowed.

"My lord Thranduil." Celeborn answered in kind.

"Mithrandir!" Aldúnil greeted the wizard with joy so he nodded with a smile.

"Are your forces here, Thranduil?" Galadriel asked.

"Yes, on the North flank as you requested, my lady." Thranduil answered.

Tauriel had never seen her king treat someone with such respect and awe at the same time. There was no doubt that the effect Galadriel had in her was due to not only the stories and her inexperience, but to her simple presence and class, since she caused the same reaction in everyone around her.

"Our army is close by, they have already seen us but they are not coming out." Celeborn explained. "We should fortify our positions and make a plan."

"I concur." Galadriel stated. "Come with us."

The majestic elf turned around and started walking back. Thranduil sent one of his guards back to give the news that the allies were here and that they should fortify their positions and prepare for the siege.

Dismounted, everyone followed Galadriel close behind.

They passed through Lorien forces who were now organizing and making command tends, preparing for battle and fortifying their positions. They entered a big tent with a table and a map over it.

The leaders gathered around the table and saw the map. Figurines were laid down representing units from the enemy and allies, its number and positions on a map with the terrain and fortifications of Dol Guldur and the nearby areas.

"The enemy is enclosed in their fortress, how will we draw them out?" Thranduil asked, still skeptic of the current mission.

"We won't" said a blond elf Capitan of Lorien who went by the name Haldir. "We meet them inside".

"Do you want to lay siege?" King Thranduil asked in incredulity.

"There is no other way." Celeborn answered. "With the dark forces that are in there we cannot be out here for ourselves too long or we fear it might weaken us all."

"With the due respect, my Lord Celeborn," Tauriel intervened "we know close to nothing about the enemy in there, and its strategic position makes it almost impenetrable. Storming that fortress may kill us all to no avail."

"That is exactly why we are here," Gandalf added in a good manner. "We need to put all of our minds into this to make a plan that will not take such a toll".

"Aldúnil" Galadriel spoke to the elf, calling everyone's attention for the familiarity in her tone. Nobody there knew they were related except Celeborn, Gandalf and Thranduil. "You have a particular way of thinking. If you have anything, it's time to come forth now."

Aldúnil looked at her aunt and nodded once, then exhaled long and lasting while he looked at the map of Dol Guldur and its surroundings, then he began talking while moving the pieces representing the forces.

The first day of siege gave its first light coming from the east. Even when the trees cleared around that area, the dim fog made the place look dark despite the sun itself. The black clouds above too had a chilling effect but the soldiers were ready.

The plan was drawn. The mind of Aldúnil and his particular thinking set the foundations of a plan and with the help of the captains, leaders and wizards it took form, as good as it could get so even Thranduil would agree on being part of it. The only entrance trough the west was cleared, the bridge left unwatched since they hoped nothing would come out.

The forces of Mirkwood and Lorien massed on the north while Aldúnil took a small host around the fortress to face south and Capitan Haldir took another to the east. By that moment the siege weapons had arrived. Light catapults made out of strong flexible vines placed in three sections since they wanted the bridge entrance intact.

All morning the catapults bombarded the fortress of hard stone, breaking apart some towers and inside bridges. Breaking some walls a wreaking havoc among the orc lines, however, it wasn't enough to make them flee, nor near enough damage to depend upon that to kill the enemies inside.

From the bridge a small unit of warg riders set out to try and destroy the catapults in the south. A group of elven rangers led by Tauriel finished them before they could even touch one catapult or one of its operators. However, a dozen riders fled the scene alive and ran west, screaming for their lives but glad to be free of the siege laid upon them.

The elves felt something, but Galadriel and Aldúnil felt it even stronger, as if that presence touched their souls. The sound went off instantly and shadows elevated from Dol Guldur's main tower and then ascended like thunder on the catapults, setting them on fire on the best-case scenario or tearing them apart into splinters along with an explosion that took soldiers.

No catapult was left standing but that was already accounted for in their plan.

Later that night they gathered again to discuss the day and the next stage.

"You were right then, Aldúnil" Haldir said in a congratulating tone. "The enemy actually revealed itself"

"Not as I wanted to…" he answered disappointed.

"At least we know the extent of the enemy's power, but it will not do something like that unless it's forced too." Gandalf explained.

"That serves of no relief to me or the forces" Thranduil complained. "How do we even plan to counter such power when we get into the fortress if we ever do it?"

"Leave that to me, Thranduil Oropherion" Galadriel answered in a moment of clarity, however she soon went back to her own mind, just like Aldúnil who was still confused and scared about what he felt earlier courtesy of that darkness inside the fortress.

Galadriel and Aldúnil exchanged glances. Both knew only them had felt that darkness so present and familiar, but while Aldúnil had no idea why, the lady of Lorien had strong suspicions that she would not mention.

The second day of the siege, the archers got close to the fortress and steadily inflicted as much damage to the enemy lines as possible. Protected by the infantry with shields on the front, the arrow exchange was long and exhausting. The elves looked disappointed at the end of the day, they felt tired and had the first casualties, which burdened heavy on their hearts, but little damage was made to the enemy, although more than that, the strategy was to make them thin on arrows to throw at them when the time to enter came, since taking the fort would require taking multiple levels, walls and bridges which would prove impossible with a storm of arrows aiming at their hearts. It was a necessary step but one that wasn't very helpful in terms of inspiring the armies.

On the third day of siege it was all set for everything to end, but it did not.

Aldúnil took direct command of a quarter of his own force and an equal number of Lorien soldiers and formed them up aligned to the bridge to enter the fortress. They marched with confidence to the improvised door. Everything seemed quiet and easy for a moment but then the rain started. Not of arrows but fire.

The orcs threw orbs with a black liquid on them that stuck to the armor, skin and hair but was very flammable.

Behind them, Haldir, commanding another force with a ram, entered the bridge with urgency, the casualties were too many and the dire screams of burning elves throwing themselves off the bridge out of desperation froze some of them but he kept going. The ram started to hit the door until the unthinkable happened. A hidden catapult fired its only one shot from an inner tower and hit the bridge. The cracking on the stone started to take over the sounds of screams and pain, then Aldúnil signaled a retreat covered by archers but the cracking stopped and so did everyone else to hear and as if their steps would collapse the structure like thin ice. Then Aldúnil felt it again, that presence that called his name, that darkness that he had never knew yet felt known.

The Commander looked at the Lorién captain with fear in his eyes and started to scream for everyone to run, but it was too late. The dark shadows struck the bridge with unprecedented force, tearing it apart from the gate and making it collapse slowly towards the entrance.

The soldiers started to run and many had their feet in steady ground but many stayed behind and where swallowed by the obscurity of the cliff's bottom. Aldúnil jumped but the floor below his feet was gone now, he tried to reach for the edge but it was too far, he was going to fall into a certain death until someone grabbed his arm and that of other of his soldiers. It was Haldir who was quickly helped by someone else to ease the weight and in turn make them climb to safety.

In that moment, Aldúnil thanked Haldir and he knew he owed his life to the elf.

Back in the camp, that night, the enemy was so confident they had a victory that day that an attack was launched, a series of goblins descended upon the camps at night and set fire to some tents and siege weapons.

That day they lost a lot. In the meeting Thranduil made it very clear that he was upset, especially because it happened by miscalculation of the enemy capability to fight. While others were down and sad he was the only one that threatened to retire his force, but after Aldúnil and Tauriel privately talked to him he accepted to stay one more day.

The plan had failed and now they needed to redo it, rethink it and evaluate their possibilities. There was no bridge now; it would take a heavy plank of wood to cross it, something that would easily be burnt by that black flammable goo the enemy possessed and them having to wait again for a ram to bring the doors down would just give the same results. An attempt to do just that would probably end in failure and catastrophic casualties. Nobody there wanted to throw lives away just for a gamble, especially not Thranduil.

After hours of deliberation, they were close to call off the attack on the threat of Thranduil recalling his forces back but Aldúnil spoke again, this was a plan that none thought of before, however it meant something bad for those involved.

"I have something…" he finally said. "But it might not be the best."

"Well, that something is better than nothing" Tauriel stated impatiently.

"A small team attacking form behind the lines, climbing the hill and opening the gates, but… it would need a distraction." He explained.

Aldúnil sneaked trough trees and stones, as silent as a hunting wolf with a small pack behind him.

When had Galadriel approved of his plan and Tauriel showed support Thranduil agreed too, but he would not order any of his soldiers to go on that mission, what he believed was almost suicide, for even if it succeeded many would die trying. Aldúnil could not order anyone also but he already had a dozen soldiers that would follow him if he just asked, willingly and aware of the risks, however they still needed more.

He made the offer to all the soldiers and warned them about the great risk, some stepped up. Capitan Haldir of Lorién also gathered volunteers when they had about four dozen soldiers they changed their full armor for darker green and grey clothes and cloaks, silent, agile and harder to spot than full gold armors.

He was not very certain if he was really or not surprised, when, at the very moment he was putting his cloak on to part ways in the cover of the night, Tauriel arrived in her usual ranger attire and a grey cloak, ready to go on the mission.

At first, he was not comfortable with her there, he did not know why but he felt like something was off, however he could not order her not to go, he had no authority over her and now she had none over him either. They were equals and if she wanted to go there was nothing he could do to stop it, even if he wished to.

After a while, when they were climbing trees and stealthily going through the forest to get in position he felt more and more comfortable with her, somehow he felt more confident since they knew each other well and they knew what each could and could not do. They had each other's backs.

They finally arrived in position and laid their backs against the high cliff that was part of Dol Guldur.

Aldúnil looked at Tauriel. They were both nervous and afraid; as the rest of the soldiers. They knew this was risky and maybe they would gladly give their lives to end that siege with a victory but even if they gave them a victory wasn't certain and they knew that many lives where in their hands, for every minute they were late many would die

When all the soldiers were in position, Aldúnil nodded at the last one in the woods, who then sent out a white raven flying as the signal that their climb would start.

They had no time for doubts. Aldúnil, Tauriel and Haldir were the first to start climbing. They had no protection, no ropes against a fall and no way to know for sure how they could climb to the top of the cliff into the fortress.

Soon they heard the clamor of battle on the far side lower wall, where a small portion of the army would attack to draw the enemy forces. The diversion had begun and they had to hurry up. Their task was the one deciding how that day would end, if the succeeded the battle would take a turn to them and end before the sun rose from the east, if the failed they would do so for the ruin of all their kindred.

The climb proved hard, even for them. Slippery rocks were made even harder to climb as soon as gentle rain set in to make everything wet. After half an hour their muscles got sore and the minds grew weary as they were trapped between exhaustion and the battle developing not far from there. They couldn't climb fast until they fainted, because after the climb several hours of battle would surely follow.

Aldúnil took a foot up a protrusion above some branches and used it to take impulse. The rock failed and broke on his weight, this had happened before but this time his hands had no secure grip over something else to sustain him. He tried to grab something else but his fingertips just scratched dirt, he would fall off and take everyone directly below him, instead of trying to keep holding he kicked the cliff to propel himself far enough so he would take no one with him. Several things crossed his mind as he thought he was about to die in the most absurd way thanks to a fragile piece of stone, after all he went through, that was a ridiculous way to die. He always thought he would die in battle at the very least, with an arrow to his heart or a sword in his stomach, but he was falling into nothingness by a mere accident. He felt then a grip on his arm.

Haldir reached him out thinking he could save Aldúnil, but thanks to them was the last one had used to propel himself backwards the weight became too heavy and his hands lost strength. Soon both were falling, but a third hand grabbed Haldir by the cloak just in time. Tauriel pressed her jaw and her face quickly turned red even when she was a normal elf. She let out a scream as her right hand started to bleed as her grip on the cliff-side was far stronger than her skin alone could handle.

Aldúnil and Haldir hit the wall with their bodies and Haldir quickly found something to hold on too. Aldúnil found stable stone to put his feet into and then grabbed a crack on the wall to finally let both of his saviors rest.

"Guren glassui, Haldir" Aldúnil said after taking a breath and looking into Haldir's eyes, he nodded and smiled joyfully.

He then turned to Tauriel who was trying to lay afloat with just on hand while she examined the damage to the other.

"Tauriel…" He tried to say.

"It's nothing, we need to keep going" the she-elf answered and kept climbing as if her hand was fine.

Haldir kept on climbing too and soon Aldúnil had no choice but to do the same. He had no seconds to waste in thinking and thanking endlessly so his mind got back to the task at hand.

It was hard and rough, but even when the climb was over the day was just beginning and the first peak of sunlight appeared on the east over the forest. The ones already on the ground helped the ones arriving while others grabbed their sheathed weapons, awaiting and guarding their companions. The few cover the night provided was going away and by the time everyone was on the ground the sun had partially showed on the horizon.

There was no time for speeches or any words. They got into the unknown and endless hallways and rooms of Dol Guldur heading first to the east. The got upstairs and downstairs several times, encountering little resistance and moving like silent shadows trough the wet and old stone of the place, looking for something to create a distraction big enough for their intended purpose.

Finally, they got into a small patio surrounded by walls, with a circular tower at its center. Most of them remained guarding the door but there was no soul to be found. At the top, Aldúnil saw a couple of orc tents and a campfire still releasing white smoke, which meant the sentinels had just gone. However, he found something that could work for the diversion.

He looked at Tauriel and they both nodded. She had seen the same and thought the same.

On the top of the tower a heavy bell rested on the ground. The wood the held it was already rotten and it fell to the ground, making the floor of very unstable. On one side half a bridge still stood.

The sent advice to clear the area and both stayed to push the bell. It was heavy but the form itself helped them move it to the stairs. One last push made the bell fall through the stairs making every other sound fade, replacing it with the rock and wood beams heavily hitting a bell falling to the ground. When the bell reached the floor it was rebounded by the end of the stairs making it crash against the weakened wall, tearing it apart. A part of the plan that was uncalculated since the sound alone should drive some orcs back there. Now, the tower began to collapse to one side.

Aldúnil grabbed Tauriel by the arm and pulled her. They ran to the half bridge and balanced themselves there while the tower fell to its side, finally jumping frontwards almost blindly. Aldúnil fell first into some rotten scaffolding, followed by Tauriel on his side. They hit four levels of scaffolds before hitting the ground. Tough rough the rotten wood softened their fall. Aldúnil lost the air on his lungs when his back hit, after him Tauriel hit the ground on her side left side, leaving her on the male elf's right side, the hit she took was hard and she closed her eyes in pain. Aldúnil did not even had time to pull air in his lungs again, for he opened his eyes and saw a big debris boulder from the tower coming towards them. He reacted and rolled to his left side, embraced Tauriel with his left arm and then pulled both to the left so they would roll twice.

The boulder fell and dust filled the place for a second. Once it settled, Tauriel and Aldúnil tried to regain air but then she found herself on top of him and they both paralyzed for a second, until she finally rolled to her side again and remained on the floor.

Aldúnil tried to process that moment but he had to get up now, the diversion would turn into a death trap if they remained there.

They got up and climbed the ruble quickly. Tauriel was holding her left arm tight. They met with their soldiers, led by Haldir in their absence and once they were far enough the stopped and got into a roof to take a quick breath and be sure the orcs bit. It worked; many orcs started flooding the place where the tower once stood.

They now had to hurry, for as much as it worked as a diversion, it also served as an alarm that intruders were in the fort.

Aldúnil drew his sword, followed by his soldiers, all but one. Tauriel only unsheathed one of her two daggers while her left arm hanged on her side. The commander saw her.

"You cannot fight like this, Tauriel."

"I can. I will." She said, trying to leave in a hurry.

Aldúnil stopped her and checked her arm.

"I will live!"

"Not if you fight like that." He made a pause, touching her arm and shoulder, looking for something, and then the she-elf showed pain. "It's dislocated, I can help you… but it will hurt."

"Then do it" She answered as if she was mad at him but he ignored that fact but he showed discomfort in causing her pain. "I got you through the worst punishment of our people, you owe me this much"

"On the count of three, one…" Aldúnil maneuvered her shoulder so it got into place.

She moaned in pain but as soon as she felt she could move her limb again with freedom if she could stand the pain she drew her second dagger as a sign that she was now ready.

Aldúnil nodded and led the way.

They turned a couple of times, following the unknown paths within the fort, trying to maintain their course west. They hid from a couple of noisy patrols and barely avoided a horde that was madly running towards the site where they created their diversion. They were a small party but still too many to hide quickly enough. It was when they came out of a path into a patio when they were finally spotted by a group of a dozen orcs.

The elves did not even thought about it and started shooting arrows, the others charged. Haldir kicked the chest of the last one but the creature managed to let out a warning growl to the air which was followed by near silence. Haldir drove its blade trough the orcs neck, shutting him down instantly.

"They know we are here, commander!" said a Mirkwood elf by the name of Pinnost. One of his best rangers and must trusted.

"We need to open the gate, we cannot be pinned down." Aldúnil said "If we find ourselves in combat keep going forwards, don't stop. Go, now!"

They started running, using their ears to distinguish roars and footsteps so they may avoid confrontation before arriving to the gate. Arriving at the gate courtyard they looked for the entrance to the wall and to the room were the gate mechanism would be. As soon as they spotted it, luck ran out and a group of no less than half a hundred orcs cut them off their way in.

The elves prepared to fight their way in, but another group of orcs arrived to reinforce the first making the enemy numbers of about ten dozens strong. They were easily outnumbered three to one now and their way was still blocked.

Aldúnil begun his thinking process fast, he saw the terrain they were in and their objective, he saw a risky and narrow way into the gate works, through a high small window. Haldir noticed this and understood what he was planning almost in an instant, but there was a problem; both of them were too thick to go through the small window gap and there was no time to explain to the ones that did fit.

Aldúnil turned to Tauriel and tried to explain the plan with just a couple of directed looks. Not only they had fought before, they both had a special talent to understand each other in a way that would only be surpassed by the understanding of Aldúnil and Sinnié.

Tauriel nodded accepting the plan and the responsibility. Aldúnil looked at Pinnost and ordered him to follow them. Haldir took the soldiers to a corner and prepared to attack, even when they had no way out they could not be flanked either and for buying time, it was what was needed. The orcs attacked in full strength and in the confusion, Aldúnil, Tauriel and Pinnost disappeared inside one of the buildings.

They got to a second floor that was destroyed; probably by the trebuchets, since the ruble was not old. From there, they climbed in silence and trying to be concealed from the enemy at all time. When they were high enough they crossed some rooftops running and jumping, climbing and crouching, they balanced through a weak wooden plank and then got to the top of the gate, the trapdoor was closed, just as they expected.

Aldúnil heard the main battle taking heat and saw how his men and those of Lorien fought bravely but were outnumbered and were just holding barely.

"You both have to go through the window and open the gate" he said, mostly to Pinnost, since Tauriel already knew the plan.

"Aren't you coming, sir?" he asked.

"I won't fit there," Pinnost was skeptic "but I will be fine, go, now!"

Tauriel let herself fall from the edge, then gabbing it with her hands to take impulse; she put a couple of feet inside and then her whole waist to then get inside. Pinnost followed her closely but when the elf was on the edge the back lines of the orcs attacking Haldir started to notice and got close, with the purpose of entering the wall and taking on the two intruders.

Pinnost looked at Aldúnil worried.

"Get to the gate!" the commander yelled in such an imperative tone that the elf didn't even argue.

The commander took a few steps back sheathing his sword, and then ran to the edge, jumping out of it towards the entrance of the wall, were an orc was already opening the door in and a couple managed to get inside.

He took hold of a horizontal banner post and took impulse forwards while, at the same time, stopping his free fall. He put his feet in front of him and kicked the next two orcs that were rushing inside. He fell on his back, but got up quickly and drew his sword once again. He was alone against a dozen enemies, but he had to hold in there even if it meant his life so that Tauriel and Pinnost could open the gate. He drove his blade through the chest of one of his enemies and then dodges the attack of a rusty axe to make a cut in the tight of a pale orc.

Tauriel helped Pinnost climb down and then they crouched, expecting enemies. A trio of orcs patrolling passed right by them, they followed closely behind. Tauriel covered the mouth of the one on the back and slit his throat, staining her hands and sleeves with black blood. She left him on the floor delicately and together, both elves repeated the same process with the other two enemies to then explore the room looking for the gate works and exactly how they could open the gate and leave it open.

The mechanism of a gate was usually made out of counterweights that, when cut, would close the gate shut for anyone to open, from the outside or the inside. They wanted to find a way to open the gate and stop leavers from turning to shut it down. They took the enemies' weapons and tried to use them to lock the leaver but to no use. In that moment, a couple of orcs entered the room roaring for blood. Pinnost took on the first one with a single move, Tauriel threw her dagger at the other orc, who tried to dodge but the throw was too fast and to strong so the blade ended up inside his skull and the enemy fell down.

Tauriel took a couple of axes from the corpses and ran to the door from which they came in, she closed it and locked it with a vine of wood and the axes, but the wood was rotten and would not hold for long.

She took her dagger from the enemy's skull on her way back to Pinnost, who was trying to figure out a way to leave the door open with what they had at hand. Pinnost had an idea.

"We could use one of the same weights to lock the leaver in place." He said.

Tauriel looked at the stone weight inside an iron cage, sustained by a thick rope.

"Do you think we can carry it?" she questioned.

"We have to try…"

Pinnost was right; they had no other choice so she did not even asked the second question in her mind. If they managed to use the stone to lock the leaver in place, it was uncertain if the wooden mechanism would hold without breaking.

They made a plan, they needed to open the gates and once those were open the army hiding in the woods would march forwards and the surprise attack would instantly end, they had only one opportunity at this and their soldiers fighting on the main distraction and their comrades and friends on the courtyard relied on them.

They took the caged stone from the channel in the stone were it came up and down freely, they pulled it out with sticks but it was heavy, finally they started to pull with all their strength, they stone started to move and the gates started to open, now it was where they bet everything. The orcs in the courtyard realized this, along with a group of reinforcements and started to run to the entrance of the wall where Aldúnil was fending himself as a cornered beast against the many enemies. The elf had to fall back into the wall so that the path turned narrow so he could take a few at a time, even though eventually he would grow tired, he had to buy as much time as possible. Step by step he took back it was the less he could do for Tauriel and Pinnost, eventually he would be pinned down against a wall or a door and his end would arrive.

They kept pulling but each time it turned harder. At one moment Tauriel slipped with orc blood and the stone pulled them back a couple of meters. She regained strength and pulled again, they gained some terrain and then the closed door started to by hit by orcs trying to get in, then they heard clash of metal outside and a groaning while fighting.

Tauriel distinguished this as Aldúnil fighting just outside. She had to do this now or he would die. She would not let him die like that, a great soldier and an honorable person, a friend, a…

She let out a scream and pulled with all the strength she could gather from every muscle fiber in her body. They finally put the stone just below the lever. She grabbed the weight with one hand and with the other grab a hold of a metal post were remaining ropes were tied.

"Go, cut it!" She said with pain in her voice.

Pinnost did not want to leave her carry the weight on her own. She was going to be torn apart by it, but he had no choice. He let the weight go and Tauriel started screaming in pain while she felt the joints of her shoulders and elbows burn as she was trying to hold the lift alone.

Pinnost drew his sword and finally cut the rope, which lashed in the air. The weight finally remained in place and the leaver hit an end on the stone lift, it cracked but it did not break.

Tauriel fell to the ground in pain; she could not move her arms without a stinging pain in her joints and bones.

"Open the door! let Aldúnil in" she said while trying to get up.

Pinnost thought for a moment, if he opened the gate he may save Aldúnil for just a moment before the orcs flooded the place and killed the three of them to then close the door by moving the boulder. That method was just so it wouldn't be easy close the gate but unchallenged, the orcs could just move the boulder away in a moment. He thought for a second.

"What are you waiting for? He is going to die! Pinnost" Tauriel screamed, afraid and desperate, more than normal.

Pinnost was about to get to the door when the clashing stopped and then many orcs started to hit the door to bring it down.

"No…" Tauriel murmured, paralyzed and static looking at the entrance, getting up to start walking towards the door, but Pinnost stopped her.

"Get out of my way!" She screamed in anger "That is an order!"

Pinnost shook his head and Tauriel tried to push him, but her arms were still weak and tired. Then the air was filled with a chant and the sound of war horns. The conjunction of Lorien and Mirkwood armies, signaling they were marching towards and open gate while the main distraction retreated into the forest.

The orcs started shouting commands and their horns also filled the air, they would march towards the entrance too, but they were too late now.

Tauriel knew their mission had been accomplished, but at what price? Once again…

Pinnost let a tear out but part of the door cracked so he made himself ready.

"Captain, they are coming, we have to defend the gate" he said.

Tauriel looked at the door and drew her bow, shooting arrows trough the crack tirelessly, as if taking revenge for the orcs for some reason.

The orcs broke the door and the swarmed in. She drew her daggers and made combat as if nothing had happened to her before, as if she was in her physical prime. While she used the whole room to fight the enemies, Pinnost stood close to the boulder and leaver to defend it, anytime an orc would try to lay hands on any he would cut them down, the orcs were many and even when they could hear now the fast marching of their own troops it seemed harder and harder to maintain the room. Then, someone screamed outside the gate works, from the stairs that lead to the trapdoor a heavy load of barrels fell, taking down some orcs with it and making the path harder to cross into the room, from the stairs a beat up Aldúnil came down into the room and started to cut down as many orcs as crossed his path.

Tauriel saw him and she could not help but smile, probably at the fact of how resilient that elf was. He always found a way to get out with his life. She jumped from a table slicing a couple of orcs and rallied with Aldúnil and Pinnost in the boulder to defend it.

"Nicely done" Aldúnil said referring to the lift locking the leaver while he cut down an orc that tried to move it.

"I could say the same, but it would get into your head" Tauriel added and they both looked at each other and smiled before the kept defending the gate.

Haldir and the soldiers were fighting to the last breath but the three dozen soldiers transformed into less than a half. A lot of elves lost their lives fighting off the orcs and they were getting massacred now, for each orc they killed another four came as reinforcements to the open gates, they were cornered now.

From a nearby path a troll made its way through the orcs and finally to them, the orc revealed a mace made of junk but heavy enough to take out his men in a couple of swings. The troll prepared to erase them but then the army got through the door, the first line of orc defense was obliterated by Thranduil in his white elk, who charged in all strength, then he took a spear from an orc and threw it with such strength that it pierced the troll's hide into his neck, rendering him useless.

Their mission was complete and the reinforcements had arrived, now it was the time to take Dol Guldur.

The reinforcements arrived at the gate room, cleaning the orcs quickly and with ease while the many units of the army entered the fortress. On the gate room, Thranduil arrived in full armor along with Celeborn. Both already stained in black blood, Celeborn with a small cut in the neck.

"Secure the gate room, no one enters here" Thranduil ordered. "I have to say, Aldúnil, it was a good plan but we still have work to do"

The got to the courtyard were the soldiers were marching into the fort. The General was shouting orders to the other two commanders.

"You will give me half your force, Aldúnil, the commanders, the general an me are going to take the fort" the king said.

"What will you have me do, sir?" Aldúnil asked.

"If it were for me you would be by my side, you are a great fighter and a good tactician, and after these past days you inspire the soldiers a lot, but Lady Galadriel herself asked for you to escort her. Half your force should be enough to protect her. She will also bring the Lorien guard with her but most of their force will remain back to secure our rear." Thranduil explained. "Tauriel, you have shown you can work with him very well, go and help each other."

She nodded.

Aldúnil was skeptical, he knew his aunt Galadriel was more than capable of defending herself along with her guard, why would she insist in taking him? It was not merely out of family affection.

The forces started to advance and the battle was just beginning when the sun was at its peak. Aldúnil commanded his force and waited for the main force to clear a path and drive the orcs out. When Lady Galadriel was crossing the bridge a host of thousands of spiders came from the north, but just in time the Lorien force that serves as a distraction first just arrived and started to battle the spiders, protecting the army rear.

Galadriel joined Aldúnil and Tauriel. Together they marched. Through the halls and buildings, Aldúnil commanded his soldiers, flanking the enemy with mastery of tactics and the counsel and ability of Tauriel on his side, they headed towards the main tower, from where the dark power emanated.

Once they were on the entrance Galadriel stepped forward.

"Aldúnil, only you will come with me." She said.

Everyone was astonished; they would go into a trap or an army they could not defend alone against. However Aldúnil accepted without doubting her.

When Tauriel was about to say something a large group of orcs descended upon them.

"Tauriel, you are in command now." The elf said.

She could not do anything, the legion was not to be left leaderless and the attackers were numerous and by now she knew him well enough to be aware that his mind was made up, he would listen to Lady Galadriel and trust her blindly, as if he knew her well. By that moment they had no choice but to stay and fight off the orcs to cover their backs so she agreed.

"Be careful…" she said in a murmur but the she added "protect, Lady Galadriel."

"I will" He said before entering the tower.

Tauriel positioned in front of the legion.

"Shield wall!" she ordered and the elven shields lined up to her word.

Aldúnil positioned himself in front of Galadriel. She knew her way around the place and walked calmly and gracefully as ever, like a dress floating in the wind without a sound.

They climbed stair after stair until they reached the floor before the last, where a pack of orcs were expecting them. Big and mean, the strongest there could be, guarding their leader, between the last set of stairs and them.

Aldúnil pointed his sword to the enemies and put himself in front of the orcs and Galadriel.

"My Lady, we have to…" he said desperate but Galadriel passed by him as if nothing happened and he lowered his guard looking at her.

When the orcs threw themselves at her she pointed forward with her hand and Aldúnil was able to see a white ring for a second, but it then vanished. A wave that muted even sound destroyed the hall and its remaining windows and ruble, the dozen orcs flew out of the tower impulse by nothing, and so they fell to their deaths.

The elf watched his aunt surprised. He knew Galadriel was powerful but that was something like he had seen a few times in his life and the ones that would do it would not stand as if nothing happened, but exhausted.

"You arrive just in time" Galadriel said while she kept walking.

Aldúnil had no idea of what she was talking about but soon a voice behind him answered.

"I would not let you in there alone, my lady" Gandalf passed by Aldúnil to accompany Galadriel.

"Come, Aldúnil. I will need you, I know you feel it too." The lady added.

She was right, each time they got closer to that place his heart grew weary, as if he was about to face a known danger, but he had never seen anything like it, he had no idea of what they would face, but somehow he felt compelled to find out, even in his irrational fear.

He walked behind them, realizing he was there somehow as a guest more than an escort, for neither Galadriel nor Gandalf needed his protection, made only of steel and sweat.

The climbed the stairs and arrived at a door, Galadriel got close to touch it and as soon as she did she took her hand off the door as if it burned her.

"Get ready." she said as she made a gesture with her hands opening the doors without touching them.

Inside there was nothing but a sword, old but bright and beautiful.

Galadriel seemed shocked in realization and she was about to say something when a shadow descended upon the sword and took the form of a hooded being, grasping the sword.

"Ego!" the voice sounded like an echo from the dark. "Drego!"

"Nazgûl!" Aldúnil shouted.

"No, it is not!" Gandalf said. "It is far worse I fear."

Aldúnil even begun to think it was Sauron himself, but why would he feel so familiar about Sauron?

"I know who you are!" The voice of Galadriel was resounding as powerful as a storm. "Nothing more but a shadow and a reflection of the past! I command you, be gone! Go to your master!"

Galadriel showed something bright in her hand and her own being became of pure blue light while her shouting was taking the power of a hurricane.

The hooded being transformed into blackness again, and charged towards Galadriel with a voice as equally powerful but unknown, chanting in elvish.

Gandalf put forth his staff and shouted too, creating an invisible wall where the darkness tried to pass tirelessly without a success.

Finally, Galadriel murmured something that Aldúnil may had confused as _I am sorry_. A beam of light came out of the star held by Galadriel and the being screamed in pain. The tentacles of darkness started to tear apart the tower as the creature was in agony.

"Go back!" with that last shout the being screamed one last time and flew around the room at speed, hitting Aldúnil in the chest and rendering him unconscious, trespassing his body and finally fleeing trough a crack in the celling.

Galadriel and Gandalf relaxed.

"My strength is diminishing" Galadriel said.

"You did it, my Lady" Gandalf said.

She looked at the unconscious Aldúnil and kneeled on his side to feel his breath and assuring he was alive. She then caressed his cheek and smiled.

"It was a temporary measure. The final task will not rest in my hands." She assured.

"You worry about them." Gandalf noted.

"Yes, after all they are my blood" She got on her feet again and walked to where the enemy's sword laid on the floor to then pick it up, watching it as something she knew. "There is much to discuss, even after today's victory, this is just beginning. Tell them to carry him out; I will summon Thranduil and the other leaders to a council."

Gandalf bowed as Galadriel passed by.

The elven lady had the beautiful sword in hand.

"Yes, my lady" he answered and looked at Aldúnil.


	6. Rivendell's Call

**6\. Rivendell's Call **

The elvish army arrived at the dusk of dawn sixteen days after they left, carrying its commander unconscious and hurt. This time Sinnié could not control her impulses and ran towards him as soon as the elven horns sounded; announcing their arrival, forgetting about keeping hidden the truth, about manners, about the king. But, before she reached to her brother, Thranduil stopped her, grabbing her with one arm, for his other armed lied in a cast, with a deep transversal cut.

"Read my mind" that was the only thing he said and then stared at Sinnié's deep blue eyes, understanding her worry. She did as the elf said. _"~He only needs to rest; Galadriel and Mithrandir took care of him. Your brother's life is not in peril… We need to talk, I shall wait for Aldúnil to wake up~_"

"Guren glassui…" Sinnié answered him with cloudy eyes filled with tears. Thranduil then let go of her and kept walking. Only in that moment she realized how much she didn't know about the king, and how injured he was after the battle. But she did not meddle in such thoughts for too long, and followed her brother to the healer's room.

Aldunil was already waking up, but they didn't allow him to move. He should spend two days in observation. Sinnié's heart felt lighter as soon as his brother's eyes saw her, and so did Aldunil's. However a very unsettling feeling accompanied that look, as if the world stopped turning and the blood turned ice cold.

"Milady you cannot stay here, you can visit him when we move him to his room" one of the healers told her politely. She nodded and head towards her chambers, dying to know what happened at the battle, but at peace that her brother was alive. This particular day was a very cloudy one, but no rain fell. Naniel and Fariel kept her company the rest of the evening, but she seemed elsewhere.

"Is something wrong Lady Sinnié?" asked Naniel, approaching Sinnié, who lay on her bed, facing the ceiling.

"I do not know… ever since I saw Aldúnil again this feeling of uncertainty has been choking me, as if something from my heart was about to be broken, and this darkness that surrounds us every day is asphyxiating… Aldunil's eyes were different, as if he had seen plenty, but…" and she stopped. In her mind, the unsettling look of her brother was being slowly replaced for the deep look in Thranduil, as he stopped her from doing something foolish. Until now she realized how deep and expressive his eyes were. Even though she was older than him, his eyes could tell a world full of stories, and not all of them with a good ending. Thranduil's look began to give form to his face and body, and then the whole image of the elven king, holding her became evident.

"Milady, one of the guards has come for you, Captain Haldir is waiting for you in the throne room, so is King Thranduil" Fariel said, entering the room with rush. Sinnié got out of her train of thought abruptly as soon as she heard Haldir's name, and asked her handmaidens to help her change her lilac and silver dress that had some blood stains.

Upstairs, Captain Haldir waited patiently for Sinnié, while a cold shiver crossed his spine. That unending darkness was back. And if there was a way to stop it he and the elven army were determined to do anything to stop it, but he was aware that to accomplish such goal he should need help, and although he knew king Thranduil's fame of stubbornness he was thankful that he already accepted to help. His hands felt cold, yet a warm feeling revolved around him as a very familiar presence approached her.

"Haldir!_" _ Sinnié vowed and then walked towards him with a smile. She was dressed with a flowing green gown, with black satin sleeves, and a tiny silver circlet with an amethyst on her forehead. The blond elf smiled back, and held Sinnié's hands. "What are you doing here? I thought you were with Galadriel"

"Lady Galadriel wanted me to escort you towards Rivendell, where we shall meet in two moons, as soon as Commander Aldunil is alright we must leave", he explained as he looked upwards towards the main stair; where Thranduil was coming down to receive him. The king now changed his armor for a red satin coat, long black boots and a flowing black silk robe, using his usual vine crown. His expression was hard, reflecting some pain, yet his attitude was the same as always. Both bow to him with respect, and he bowed back, carefully, staring right at Sinnié.

"Captain Haldir, good, I assumed you were accompanying commander Aldúnil, but let's get this over with since Lady Sinnié is here" Thranduil knew that this was a serious matter, but now he realized how blind he had been to the matters of the outside world, as he had been in Erebor. He looked at Sinnié, who was staring at Haldir nervous. A strange feeling started rising from the mouth of his stomach.

"Lady Sinnié, Lady Galadriel asked us to escort you and Commander Aldunil to Rivendell; you are required in the white council"

"Though Galadriel did not informed us why must you two be there, you will be, prepare your luggage, we will part tomorrow, and travel light, we know now that time is of the essence" said this, the tall blonde elf made a gesture with his head saluting Haldir and then Sinnié.

"As you are finished packing my lady and everybody else is ready we shall part. Commander Aldunil has been already moved to his chambers to finish resting since he is in no peril." And then making a vow, he began walking towards the barracks path to then stop his pace and say: "My lord, your son Legolas will be there as well". Thranduil look changed from stone to tenderness, saying nothing to captain Haldir; which noticed the impact of his words on the elven king and renewed his path towards the barracks. Sinnié looked at the king with wonder, whom didn't care now of her presence but something made her stay. She had not realized how much time had passed since Thranduil last saw Legolas, and how deep their bond was. One thing was her bond with Aldúnil and other thing was the bond between father and son. She looked downwards to then remember the wound on Thranduil's arm.

"How are you feeling, my king?" her voice was dim and tender, but Thranduil didn't look at her.

"Pain is nothing now that we need to travel, tell your…" and he made a pause. "Tell Aldunil that we are leaving tomorrow"

Sinnié vowed and slowly retired herself from the throne room to Aldunil's chambers, not before looking backwards to the king. She found her brother finishing dressing helped by Fariel, flirting and giggling. She cleared her throat and Fariel scared backed away from Aldunil and bow at her.

"Please Fariel leave" said this; the blonde elf left the room blushed.

"What? I wasn't doing anything… this time"

"Aldunil, Galadriel summoned the white council and Thranduil will go, Haldir came to escort me to Rivendell, she summoned _you_ as well."

"Smirkface will go to a white council? This is big, what were his orders?" his complete attention now lied completely in his sister. "But, wait… _Haldir_? Captain Haldir? The Haldir I am thinking came to escort _you_ to Rivendell?"

"Yes…? Why?" Sinnié almost regretted answering to her brother.

"_Ada'muinthel _sent him or he decided to come?" Aldunil now was sitting down at the edge of the bed, somewhere in between of shock and excitement.

"He arrived with you! —Why do you want to know that? You are scaring me!"

"Alright, alright… The important thing is to know why she is specifically summoning us two; she has never been this specific. I understand why she might need me, but, us?" the face of the black-haired elf turned thoughtful. "You need to get ready, and it might have to do with what happened in Dol Guldur"

"What exactly happened Aldunil…?"

"Commander Aldunil!" Tauriel's voice was heard on the stairs leading to his room. She was in between happiness and hurry, since she had already been communicated the orders of traveling to Rivendell, besides she wanted to know if he was alright. As soon as she reached the door she saw Lady Sinnié standing just steps away from Aldúnil and a spinning sensation invaded her, making her to stay in the door for a moment.

"We'll discuss this later; get yourself ready, unless you want to help me to get dressed…" Aldúnil hurried his sister up, since he heard Tauriel's voice on the stairs.

"Finish dressing alone!" Sinnié answered rolling her eyes, drawing a big irony grin, "Fariel will help me pack my things, so she won't fool around with you!" She punched him in the arm and faced towards the door, trying to hide her now blushing face from her brother. Aldunil cackled and nodded, they hugged and then Sinnié left the room heading towards her chambers to start packing, stumbling upon Tauriel who was stupefied at the semi-open door.

"Lady Sinnié" she vowed after being startled at the black haired lady exiting Aldunil's room.

"Captain Tauriel" Sinnié vowed back and continued her way. Tauriel's stomach shrunk by the instant memory of what Aldunil said to the black-haired lady elf. She felt her anger growing at each step she gave towards his room; she didn't even bothered to knock the door, and just entered. "Have you no shame? You have to be also careless in times of war right after almost dying?"

"Why do you care so much in what I do in my bedroom? I have no life-time partner and I am pretty clear about that, but the weird thing is that you are implying that I slept with Lady Sinnié" he answered while getting dressed, carefully putting on a camisole, trying not to touch his back wounds. Tauriel stared blankly at him, trying not to say anything that would make her look foolish. "Trust me I have _no_ interest in her. That would be really disturbing".

"As if I would believe you, I saw her coming out of this room" Tauriel snared, as she threw other pieces of clothes for Aldunil to use. "Everybody is getting ready, we are leaving for Rivendell in three hours, and you better get dressed properly! I will not tolerate you slacking off!"

"You promise to punish me again if I do?" Aldunil smiled flirtatiously at the redhead, while she slowly blushed, whether was for her anger or because she felt embarrassed he could not tell, but he felt quite content with himself. Tauriel just simply left the room, reminding him about them leaving in short. He nodded and right after putting on his boots and tying up his hair in a simple ponytail he ran upstairs to prepare his horse.

Sinnié felt nervous, this was her first time in Rivendell, and although she knew perfectly some of her pares will be there —other half-elves—she didn't knew what to expect. Naniel and Fariel helped her packing the fewest possible and now she changed her flowing dress for leather black pants, with dark silver long boots; A dark blue moleskin long sleeve camisole, covered by a dark gray corset with black leather bracers and half gloves. Four short daggers in her belt, two each side, and two one handed swords at her back. Fariel combed her hair into a braided ponytail, adorned by a silver leaf. She looked at the mirror in her room and barely recognized herself. Times were changing, and she needed to adapt to this new world, no more books, no more inside adventures, it was time to face her fate right in the eyes.

For some reason she remembered her mother's lullaby and started humming it while she finished packing. Now, she realized how far had she gone since she left their hometown and the idea that they were the only ones in the world. Today was the day that her fate crashed against the world drawn in her books, and in her perfect home in Lothlorien.

The noise of the people forming up downstairs startled her from her reflective state, giving her queue to prepare to leave. She ordered Naniel and Fariel to send in the guards so they could take her luggage downstairs to the chariots lining up at the barracks exit. She saw Tauriel preparing the chariots and guiding some elvish lords to their places, as she gave specific orders to her soldiers. Sinnié approached her when she saw she was taking a break.

"Can I help with anything?" Sinnié asked, feeling like a child once again.

"Do not get in the way" Tauriel began saying the sentence with utter security, but she froze as soon as she realized to whom she was speaking. "Lady Sinnié! I am so sorry… You…"

"I look different, yes, and you are very busy, that is why I asked if I could help in any way" the ginger elf was too embarrassed to answer the question. She was in between anger, worry and tension for what would come, so her answers were completely automatic. Sinnié placed a hand in her shoulder to reassure her that she was not offended and then asked her for Aldunil or Captain Haldir. "Here comes Captain Haldir" the black haired elf turned around to face the captain of Galadriel's guard.

"Lady Sinnié, is your luggage ready?"

"Yes Captain Haldir, my guards are bringing it down this instant, have you seen Aldúnil?"

"I have, he is preparing the horses for you, Tauriel and his, I tried to help but he insists on doing it himself" Sinnié's expression harden as she walked to the stables. There she found Aldúnil adjusting the saddle of his horse.

"You have absolutely no regard of your health, do you?" she said in her ominous voice, startling him.

"Do not use the Galadriel tone on me" he said holding on to the saddle. "Whoa! What happened to the silk garments and robes?"

"It's a two moons ride to Rivendell, Aldúnil; do you think I would keep that useless dress all that time? Besides, what happens if we get attacked?" Aldúnil smiled, it seemed that his sister had understood what he tried to tell her before he left to Dol Guldur.

"You are right… but nevertheless we can fix that with a little dirt" now his sister looked a little blushed, which made Aldunil laugh, but he stopped as he saw the line of daggers in her belt. "Are those daggers…?"

"Yes, I felt that I should have some weapon in case I need it" her expression became a bit nostalgic, as she caressed the daggers.

"At least do you know how to use them, Sinnié?"

"Not really… I was hoping you help me with that"

"I do not mess with toys, but alright I will train you in those" Sinnié chuckled by that statement and left the stables. Everything now seemed a living organism, with its own mind; everybody knew what to do and where to go. In that moment she understood why Aldúnil and Haldir gave so much to this lifestyle, even so if it meant risking the very own life. Now, more than ever, she wanted to be part of this world, and she would learn how to fight for everybody's sake, and most of all for herself. The time for books was over; the word lied ahead of her.

Upstairs, Thranduil sat contemplative in his throne as he used to do every now and then, playing in his mind about the idea of leaving his home once again. The third time in a year; to venture himself to lands he had already visited in his youth. Rivendell… Yes, Elrond and Celebrian lived there, but since his wife died, he had never returned, and now Elrond shared his grief, for his own wife had left too, and even so, when she did, he had not visit his old friend.

The fear of the imminent sorrow and reliving the memory of someone's loved dying, haunted him at every corner, but now he could not run away. When did he become so afraid of the outside world? Suddenly, a memory was triggered in his mind:

"Why? Why, _Adar_!?" Legolas shouted while the mighty elven king walked towards his wine cellar. "She was my mother, she was your wife! It is not fair that she just vanish from all memory of this place!" Thranduil looked at his son, shocked to see him for the first time in centuries exalted about any subject at all.

"I will not discuss this, Legolas."

"I have the right to know father!"

"There's nothing left of her Legolas" the elven king now seemed taller and darker, his voice though broken sounded as cold as ice. "I… cannot stand the pain of staring into her eyes, knowing I will never see her again." Thranduil now kept silence, but his voice still echoed in his halls and in his sons' mind. Legolas froze. Little he knew about his father's pain, for even when he returned without his mother his face had turn stone cold. No one dared to question him that fateful day of where his wife was when he crossed the stone doors of Mirkwood with just a tear of clothing covered in blood.

Thranduil looked at his hands —overseeing the tear of cloth that once he carried back home— and sighed, there was no point on dwelling on things about the past. He grabbed his staff and walked towards the barracks, shunning those memories away. Time was of the essence, and no matter how heavy his heart was for Legolas, they needed to travel. Today was no day for weakness.

Tauriel felt emptiness in her stomach; once again she was leaving Mirkwood, but now the feeling of adventure that the first time she left her home invaded her became fear of losing someone dear was too near. Her body was still soar because of the recent battle, and the image of the siege had not abandoned her mind completely, repeating over and over again the scene in which she thought Aldunil was lost.

Thranduil arrived mounted in a black stallion which made perfect contrast with his silver blonde hair, rallying up the riders and soldiers that were going to guard the citizens that were travelling with the army. He saw Tauriel and Aldunil at the head of the caravan, yet he had not seen Sinnié anywhere. But then he saw her right next to Captain Haldir, using completely different clothes. He stared for a moment at her to confirm that she was indeed Sinnié. She noticed this and stared back at him, drawing a dim smile on her face. Thranduil for a moment saw his wife instead, but this image faded quickly. With those clothes she didn't looked to Thranduil as a spoiled elven lady, instead she appeared to be a fierce warrior with thousands of years of experience, yet, he was not aware if she had received military training in any point of her life, or even if she even needed it. He turned around and went to the very front and center of the caravan, starting their journey towards Rivendell.

"It seems as if king Thranduil was getting softer" Haldir said to Sinnié with a hidden smile.

"I never met him before this Haldir, to me, he is just a very stubborn elf, but I know he has his reasons", she answered while adjusting her saddle. She was mounting a grey mare with black hair.

"It is said that he became who he is when his wife died, but the implications are unclear of how or when she died, only he knows, and if that is really the motive of his bitterness", Haldir now seemed serious, he had not lost anyone in his life time, and even so elves knew what was in store for them in the afterlife, yet he could imagine how it might feel to lose the one you love the most. "You look beautiful in those clothes if I may say so Lady Sinnié", he finally said after clearing his throat. Sinnié smiled as an unsaid thank you.


	7. Towards the Misty Mountains

**7\. towards the Misty Mountains **

Three days of travel had passed, and since no evident danger presented itself they decided to rest to get on another day along the journey. As soon as they reached high ground, the guards mounted the tents quickly so they could rest for the night. Aldunil stared at the vast blue sky that now ran free without tree branches above them. He inhaled deeply and sighed, they were venturing to some territory unknown, the shadow his sister felt before he now knew its face and its reach, and it was too vast to ignore. The woods that had all types of natural sounds now stood quiet in the depth of the night, only the distant glisten of the stars arrived sadly to his ears.

"I see you are feeling better" The redhead elf said patting the commander's shoulder.

"You could say that, my body isn't exactly in pain but, I feel this emptiness… here…" he answered pointing near his heart, having a sudden flashback to what happened in Dol Guldur, the shadow that presented itself. _It feels so familiar. _He remained silent for a moment, as he stood still, he could feel as he was falling to a great speed into a void, getting each time colder and colder, and the shadows swirled around him until almost no light came through, and then, as if it was some kind of wall, everything broke down to pieces, at the sound of the voice of captain Tauriel:

"Can you help me with the camp, if you are not occupied staring at the landscape" said this he sighed deeply in relief and joined Tauriel setting camp, not before he instinctively looked back reassuring himself that it wasn't real. They did it quietly, almost mechanically. None of them were really in the mood to talk, the events of the past weeks still lingered within their memories, the deaths of many, the enemy's strength was something not even the King now was taking lightly. Their fight had just begun. When they were preparing their own tents, Sinnié passed by accompanied of Haldir, giving them a friendly nod. Tauriel instinctively look towards Aldunil's direction, to see his reaction. Surprisingly enough for her he wasn't thrilled about the she-elf's gesture, which triggered some sense of relief in her.

"Are you staying with Lady Sinnié tonight?" she asked him, while she tied up firmly her tent.

"I beg your pardon? She has her own tent, why would I stay with her?" Aldunil appeared not to have understood the elf's keen comment. "Besides she seems busy with diplomatic matters with Captain Haldir, I wouldn't want to ruin any of her chances of getting married… if ever he, he"

"Very well then, where will your tent be?" She asked, sitting on the floor with a smile of contempt after a long day of travel and work.

"I will sleep outside, there is no sight of rainclouds for miles, and I could do some fresh air after Dol Guldur's stench, but worry not I will be fine" he smirked standing up to look once again towards the sky, "have a good night Tauriel"

Meanwhile Sinnié was struggling on the roughness of camping; she had never done this before, not even when she was little she had such experience with her mother or brother, and a bit of anxiety was overwhelming her, all her life she had spent it inside stone walls or cozy wooden walls back home. Aldunil was always fond of horseback riding, fishing, hunting, getting dirty… all the activities the town boys were into, however, she had no interest on any of it, she preferred her books, and the safety of her mother's lap while reading them.

When Andreth died, and revealed to them their father's identity, Sinnié felt a massive void in her stomach, there was no home anymore and now she needed to travel the world to find the rest of her family. Her brother reassured her travel, telling her funny stories and defending her if needed of indecent men or burglars that saw her frailty. For all this she grew weary of the world, she locked herself from the outside, and made her new home at Lothlorien her own golden cage. There she learned about her lineage; the Noldor, her father, middle earth's history and the defeat of Sauron, different languages, different cultures and traditions, then again all from the safety of her own library, in which she'd grow but never flourish, but now she realized that these life experiences were needed to grow wiser, braver and bolder: _what if we get attacked tonight? I can't fight, I don't know how. _She repeated over and over and over, feeling the numbness of her physical abilities to fight comparing herself to her twin brother who was a very skilled fighter, rider and explorer.

"I should have practiced more when I had the chance with him" she said to herself frustrated, tossing and turning on her bed.

"~_Yes, you should have~" _Aldunil's voice reached her mind, ~_but don't worry, we can practice while we arrive to Rivendell, if that is what you really want Sinnié~. _

"_~alright, tomorrow? ~"_

"_~First lights, and I want no complains, it's training not playing~."_ Then the usual mental door closed between the brothers as they fell asleep.

The night's pace went silent and calm, only the wind blowing between the trees gave a soothing sense to it that calmed down the commander of Thranduil's army. Although every one of them got some much needed rest, the sense of alert remained the same all upon sunrise, where the first lights through the edge of the forest slowly woke Aldunil and his twin sister, ready to have a necessary express training. The commander picked up his sleeping bag and walked towards a glade, barely five meters from the camp in which he took a pair of long daggers, not very sharp, in order to practice with Sinnié. After some minutes she arrived using a simple blouse and a pair of leather pants and long boots, carrying with her the daggers she took from the Mirkwood city.

"Good I didn't have to wake you up" he said proudly, swinging one of the daggers.

"I did not sleep much, so I figured out I could catch some sleep on the road, for now, teach me" Sinnié said, tying her hair up on a ponytail. "The pointy end goes towards the enemy right?"

"Not quite… it depends on which moves you intend to do" said this he held the dagger near to his forearm and swung it like he was giving a cross punch, cutting the bark of the tree near him. Sinnié opened her eyes wide, impressed by the quick movements of her brother. "But that's for later, for now we will practice without these, only with our arms"

"Do we really have the time for _later_?"

"Yes, I don't want you getting hurt or killed, besides I've seen how you devour those books, so you'll learn quickly Sinnié", this words made the she-elf confident enough so she left the daggers on the ground, expecting some instruction of her brother. "Now, put your hands like this and we will do these postures, one, two, three, and four. Alright?" as he said the numbers, he placed his hands upwards, downwards, in guard and blocking, respectively. He repeated the movements one more time standing in front of his sister as she paid close attention to it, then he stood by her side and made her repeat those movements, walking at the same rhythm, both together.

As the sun made its slow way to the bright lights of morning behind the misty mountains the twins practiced several times the movements, in simulated combat, with Aldúnil firstly giving his sister the right combinations of movements as he did his own, and then him letting her figure out how to proceed on the course of the fight. She wasn't particularly well skilled in any form of sport, yet their kin had always been graceful and with the outmost body control of the entire middle earth. He trusted that her body would respond in time instinctively as his, and that her capability to learn new things would help her become maybe not the best of the fighters, but a great opponent indeed. In any case, that these things he was teaching her would save her life if needed.

Right when the twins were thinking of taking a break the horn of Mirkwood sounded, announcing that they were reassuming their journey.

"Be ready Sin, this was only our first lesson, from this onwards it will get harder, and faster, but you can manage" Aldunil told Sinnié before splashing his face and wetting his hair with the waterskin he had prepared for the training.

"Give me some" Sinnié plead. He threw it to her and she drank it quickly. "We should get back quickly, I don't want to get behind" her brother nodded.

They picked up their respective daggers, and head up towards the camp, where there were barely no tents up, and the army was beginning to march into their destination. Aldunil ran up to where his horse was tied up to find him already prepared, being guarded by Tauriel with an impatient look, he thank her and road his horse, followed by the captain of the guard.

The journey went on through the rest of Mirkwood forest, and in each camping site, Aldunil and Sinnié practiced with the daggers, moving on towards wooden daggers for safety only in one occasion and making the training level higher, with the commander having some obstacles for his sister, yet, Sinnié wasn't really ready for an actual fight. After all, Aldúnil had practiced the arts of combat for millennia, and this was the first time the fine Lady of Lorien had an actual weapon in her hands. In spite of all this she became quite acute in throwing them, remembering when she used to through the kitchen knives against his brother when he bothered her; but that was almost six thousand years ago, she obviously had forgotten how to do that.

Around the 12th day they arrived to the side of the Misty Mountains, leaving the deep forest behind, ready to travel all over the mountain range, for their destination wasn't too far away. The humidity began accumulating as soon as they began the ascent, forming some dark rain clouds above them and some nasty winds hit the elven company at each corner of the path. In spite of being a big company of elves, army and courtship these were not safe lands yet, for goblins inhabited the deep parts of the mountains, eating and torturing those who enter their territory uninvited. Thranduil ordered a very tight security surrounding the camp, for they needed to stay there because of the bad weather, the mix of the winds and the rain, adding some thunderstorms would endanger the lives of everyone at his charge.

Everyone coordinated themselves to set camp as soon as possible and take some refuge out of the rain. That night, a huge thunderstorm hit the mountain, forcing Thranduil and his company to stay inside their tents, yet the king insisted on taking one turn on the night's watch. He was an obstinate man, with terrible mood, and absolutely small will to change his word, yet, he would give his life if needed in exchange for any member of his kin. After the battle at Dale and Erebor, he remembered the harshness of war, and the emptiness of losing valuable members of his army, since that day he promised himself he'd work even harder to earn the respect of his kin and to do anything to protect them. Between the rain and the wind he remained calmed, vigilant and alert.

When the rain ended, the dusk of dawn caressed his skin in between the clouds, warming his wet clothes, making him realize how tired he actually was, two and a half weeks of travel, in constant alert and little sleep had finally taken a toll on Thranduil. Aldunil was next on the watch, so he went to his tent so he could take his post, surprisingly he found Sinnié waiting for him outside the tent.

"Good morning my lord Thranduil" she saluted him with a slight reverence.

"Good morning Lady Sinnié, is commander Aldunil awake?" Thranduil asked.

"I am milord, I just had to grab these" Aldúnil came out of his tent holding the knives on his right hand, with a big smile on his face.

"Very well, I will retire to my tent, I'll leave you to your duties" said this; the elven king left the twins alone, giving them a respectful nod.

They both walked towards a flat space over the mountain side not far away from the last tent of the camp, from where Aldúnil could watch over the east side of it, while training with his sister. This time he was going to test his sister in real combat —not to the death of course—, to check how much she had advanced on her learning, he also asked Haldir's help, but he told him he'd be showing up later.

"Alright my dear sister… let's dance" he said throwing at her one of the knives he had at hand. Sinnié caught it and after she twirled it with her hand and then adopted defensive position. Aldunil attacked fiercely upwards, but Sinnié blocked it correctly opening his defense and throwing a blow to his face, which he avoided pretty easily, marking a point towards his sister's neck. She accepted it and walked backwards. Then it was her turn to attack, she went for the middle, with all her might, determined to mark a point to her brother, yet he blocked every single one of her cuts, moving but a little.

The sky became eerie, making the ground shine in a weird gray light. A few raindrops began falling but nothing too serious to make them stop their fight. Sinnié continued on the offensive position, trying her best.

"You've made great progress, I'm proud of you!" he told her, while stepping back to avoid her knife.

"Don't congratulate me until I can actually put you in your place" she answered. Then, she placed the blunt side of the knife against her forearm and performed a pair of diagonal downwards cuts. The first one Aldúnil avoided it without trouble but:

"Aldunil, we're off" Tauriel's voice resounded due to the echo of the mountains, like a haunting voice, repeating itself slowly. For merely as spec of a second, he turned his sight to locate Tauriel, not paying attention on the trajectory of Sinnié's blade, locking his eyes with the eyes of the redhead. His hands lost all the strength and Sinnié's knife marked a deep cut on Aldunil's left upper leg. As soon as he felt the heat of the blood flowing, his eyes left Tauriel's and he looked at his sister with incredulity but absolutely no pain or anger in his eyes. Like Sinnié had done something a child would do.

"I didn't mean to, not my fault you hear her and lose it!"

"I am three minutes older than you, Sinnié, watch your mouth" he said, now feeling the pain of the wound, a warm acute feeling but nothing even closely compared to those burning leaves. "You did it well"

"Is everything ok?" Tauriel ran towards the commander, now realizing what was happening.

"Yes… I was training her again, and apparently she's improved considerably, so much that I could not block her" Aldúnil answered chuckling, trying to hide his shame of getting distracted by Tauriel and receiving a cut from his amateur sister.

"You should get that checked before we leave, King Thranduil asked us to check road ahead for possible goblin traps or ambushes" now Tauriel seemed worried, it was a nasty cut.

"I just need some stitches; we'll leave as soon as I have them." he said, walking with difficulty towards his tent, where he kept a small medical kit, for things like this, but he would never have thought that he will use it due to his sister.

"Are you going to be alright?" Sinnié asked him worried, trying to help him walk, to no use, for Aldúnil did not let her. She looked at him with disbelief but she trusted her brother, so after she saw him sitting down on his bed and taking out thread and needle, she went back to her tent. Tauriel on the other hand waited for him on his door, patiently. A few minutes later and with a new pair of pants he armed himself with a bow, quiver and a one and a half sword. Then the two of them went on, on their mission.

The road became stiff and rocky as they advanced. Very narrow paths and curtains of mist that cloaked some deep crakes that ran their entire curse into the depths of the mountain. Neither of the elves talked for most of their exploration mission, mostly because they needed to be careful in case of any party of goblins were near. An hour in thunders roared in the distance, followed by some raging winds that took strength in the composition of the mountain roads to howl as a whaling soul. They had gone far enough not finding anything dangerous or unusual, so they turned around.

"So, you WERE training" Tauriel broke the silence, smiling with contempt.

"Yes…" Aldúnil affirmed confused and after several seconds of receiving no answer he asked. "Why the specifics?"

"I thought…" she was about to say something that would make her appear jealous even though she was not, so she fixed. "I thought you were laying with her every time you disappeared in the woods under the excuse of training. It was so much I thought you were serious, or as serious as someone like you can be… At any rate I was worried it would distract you of your duties, but you are actually doing more work, which is good and honorable of you."

"Thank you? Why would you think there is a romance between her and me?" Aldúnil seemed exhausted by that idea; still he wasn't prepared to tell the elf that Sinnié was actually his twin sister. "You think ill of me Captain Tauriel, besides…" said this he turned around to look at her with the outmost confidence, "I prefer _redheads_."

Aldúnil's eyes locked again with Tauriel's, and they remained that way for a moment, not saying a word. The commanders look then went from absolute confidence to realization of what he said, and Tauriel turned away embarrassed. Both of them were about to explain themselves when a loud screech crossed the air and a thick net made of some kind of goo, animal guts and rope; fell over them both, to be then surrounded by a party of at least 15 goblin warriors. Neither Tauriel nor Aldunil could move due to the consistency of the net, making it easy for the goblins to tie the net up, hitting Tauriel hard against the commander hard, then them both against a sharp rock, hurting her bad.

"Looks like we've got a fancy dinner tonight fellas" said one of the goblins with blisters all over his face except of one of his eyes, with a big scar across the chest. The rest of the goblins cheered, as they carry the elves inside a hidden crack behind a boulder.


End file.
